Final answer:
Stuttering is an impairment characterized by interruptions in the flow of speech. It can have a genetic basis and can also be influenced by environmental and psychological factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stuttering is defined as more of an impairment than a disease. It is a speech disorder characterized by interruptions in the flow of speech, often resulting in repeated or prolonged sounds, syllables, or words. The etiology of stuttering can be genetic, as seen in the case of a particular family in West London where a genetic mutation on the FOXP2 gene was found to be linked to the disorder. Stuttering can also be influenced by environmental and psychological factors, such as stress or anxiety.