Preliminary study of self-perceived communication competence amongst adults who do and do not stutter

PurposeAdults who stutter report a significant impact of stuttering on their quality of life, including negative thoughts and attitudes toward communication. In addition to this impact, adolescents who stutter also report lower levels of self-perceived communication competence (SPCC) compared to fluent peers. The purpose of this study was to extend the investigation of SPCC to adults who do and do not stutter. Additional aims investigated included if 1) SPCC predicted overall impact of stuttering, and, 2) stuttering frequency predicted SPCC among adults who stutter.MethodsTwenty-four adults who stutter and twenty-seven adults who do not stutter matched for age, gender, and education completed the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (Richmond & McCroskey, 1997). All participants who stutter completed the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES [ages 18+]; Yaruss & Quesal, 2006) and speaking samples to measure stuttering frequency.ResultsAdults who stutter reported significantly lower SPCC scale total scores than adults who do not stutter. For adults who stutter, lower SPCC scale scores significantly predicted more severe overall impact of stuttering as measured by the OASES. Stuttering frequency did not predict SPCC scale scores.DiscussionThis is the first study to report differences in self-perceived communication competence between adults who do and do not stutter. Results suggest adults who stutter report lower self-perceived communication competence compared to adults who do not stutter. Adults who perceive themselves to have greater communication competence reported less severe overall impact of stuttering, and stuttering frequency did not influence SPCC. Clinical implications for intervention are discussed.     

Larger reported impact of stuttering in teenage females,compared to males – A comparison of teenagers’ result on Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES)

PurposeThe aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the impact and experience of stuttering, and attitude to communication for female and male teenagers who stutter (TWS) in comparison with teenagers with no stutter (TWNS).MethodsThe Swedish version of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES-T-S), was administered to 56 TWS, 13–17 years old (26 females, 30 males). An adapted version of OASES, Attitude to Speech and Communication (ASC), was administered to 233 TWNS. The impact scores were analyzed in relation to sex in TWS and TWNS.ResultsFemale TWS reported that stuttering had a greater impact on their life than it did on male TWS (on average 0.5 higher impact scores; Hedges’ g = 0.87). The differences did not seem to be caused by differences in severity of overt stuttering symptoms. Female and male TWS particularly differed on items related to difficulties in day-to-day communication and affective/behavioral reactions to stuttering. Such sex differences were not as pronounced among TWNS, suggesting that teenage women may be more vulnerable to the negative impact of stuttering than men the same age.ConclusionFemale teenagers report more negative experiences and a greater tendency to use avoidance strategies than male teenagers.     

The role of psychological processes in estimates of stuttering severity

Purpose

To examine the associations of trait anxiety (STAI), social anxiety (SIAS), depression (BDI-II), and personality features (ADP-IV) with three measures of stuttering severity: %SS, Stuttering Severity, Instrument, and the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering.

Method

Fifty adults with a history of stuttering served as participants. Participant scores on trait, anxiety, social anxiety, depression, and personality features were entered into a regression analysis, with the criterion variables (DVs) being: %SS, SSI-3, OASES total score. In order to explore the OASES, further, each of the four OASES subscales were also examined. A separate regression was conducted for, each dependent variable.

Results

The OASES total score model was significant (p < .0001) and revealed that social anxiety and, trait anxiety were the only significant predictors, with medium effect sizes noted for both variables. In contrast, percent syllables stuttered and the SSI were not significantly associated with psychological, variables, suggesting that anxiety may not always be related to overt indicators of stuttering. Depression and personality dysfunction were not significantly associated with any measure of, stuttering severity.

Conclusion

Anxiety in the form of social and trait anxiety are significantly associated with stuttering, severity as indicated by the OASES. Traditional procedures for assigning severity ratings to individuals, who stutter based on percent syllables stuttered and the Stuttering Severity Instrument are not, significantly related to psychological processes central to the stuttering experience. Depression and, personality characteristics do not meaningfully account for stuttering.Educational objectives: The reader will be able to: (a) differentiate forms of anxiety that are likely to be associated with stuttering (b) understand the importance of determining features of stuttering that go beyond the obvious, surface characteristics of stuttering frequency, and (c) discuss the important clinical and theoretical implications for understanding the degree of psychological dysfunction that is likely to be characteristic of those who stutter.     

Relative contributions to overall impact of stuttering in adults using the overall assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES)

PurposeComprehensive assessment of stuttering requires consideration of a wide range of behaviors that impact outcomes, and the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES) is an assessment tool that accomplishes such. The purpose of this study was to determine how the individual components of the test contribute to the OASES’ impact score.MethodData collected at a university speech-language and hearing clinic from 29 adults were used for a relative weight analysis (RWA). RWA was utilized to determine the relative contributions of the OASES’ subtests to the OASES’ impact score. Confidence intervals for the individual relative weights were calculated for each OASES subtest and significance tests based on bootstrapping with 10,000 replications.ResultsDifferences were present in contributions of the OASES’ subtests to the OASES’ overall impact score, where the following explained a significant amount of variance in the OASES’ impact score: Speaker’s Reactions; Daily Communication; and Quality of Life. However, contribution of the subtest, “General Information”, was not significant.ConclusionThrough examination of relative contributions to the impact of stuttering using the OASES, this project has identified differences in contributors to the overall impact of the disorder of stuttering. This information is beneficial to researchers and clinicians alike in that it gives specific guidance into what determines increased impact in adults who stutter (AWS). Future works should pursue clarification of these differences with an end goal of identifying and overcoming barriers to positive outcomes while also identifying and nurturing facilitators to optimal management.     

Validation and evaluation of the Dutch translation of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering for School-age children (OASES-S-D)

BackgroundStuttering can have a negative impact on many aspects of a speaker's life. Comprehensive assessment must therefore examine a range of experiences in order to reflect the overall impact of the disorder.PurposeThis study evaluated the Dutch translation of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering – School-age (OASES-S; Yaruss & Quesal, 2010), which examines the impact of stuttering on the lives of children ages 7–12.MethodThe OASES-S was translated to Dutch (OASES-S-D) using a forward/backward translation process. Participants were 101 Dutch-speaking children who stutter (ages 7–12) who were recruited by speech-language therapists throughout the Netherlands. All participants completed the OASES-S-D, the Children's Attitudes about Talking-Dutch, a self-assessment of severity, a clinical assessment of severity, and a speech satisfaction rating. A control group of 51 children who do not stutter also completed the OASES-S-D to determine whether the tool could differentiate between children who stutter and children who do not stutter.ResultsAll sections of the OASES-S-D except section I surpassed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.70, indicating good internal consistency and reliability. Comparisons between the OASES-S-D and other tools revealed moderate to high associations. The OASES-S-D was able to discriminate between children who stutter and children who do not stutter and between participants with different levels of stuttering severity.DiscussionThe OASES-S-D appears to be a reliable and valid measure that can be used to assess the impact of stuttering on 7- to 12-year old Dutch-speaking children who stutter.Educational Objectives: The reader will be able to: (a) describe the purpose of the OASES-S-D measurement tool; (b) summarize the translation process used in creating the OASES-S-D; (c) summarize the aspects of stuttering measured in the different sections of the OASES-S-D; (d) describe with what measurement tools the validity of the OASES-S-D was investigated; and (e) describe the differences between the American-English version and Dutch translation of the OASES-S.     

Australian normative data for the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering

People who stutter often report negative impacts on their wellbeing as a result of their chronic fluency disorder. The need for a comprehensive assessment of the wellbeing and experience of stuttering should be a prime consideration when measuring treatment outcomes. One such measure designed to evaluate wellbeing and aspects of the individual's experience of his or her stuttering is the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES). Normative data for the OASES Adult version (OASES-A; and hereafter referred to simply as the OASES) has begun to be collected over the past 10 years, though none are available for an Australian population. This paper presents Australian normative data for the OASES for 200 adult males and females who stutter, aged between 18 and 85 years. Additionally, the influence of age, sex, and frequency of stuttering on the Australian OASES scores are also presented. No significant relationships between OASES scores were found for sex and age, which is in keeping with the USA original dataset. However, those participants who had more severe stuttering were more likely to have higher negative impacts for 'General Information', Communication in Daily Situations,' and for the overall OASES score. Implications for further research are discussed. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The reader will be able to: (i) describe the purpose of the Overall Experience of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering for Adults (OASES), (ii) evaluate the relevance of the OASES to treatment planning and the evaluation of stuttering treatment outcomes in the adult population, and (iii) compare Australian normative dataset with the USA and Dutch normative datasets for the OASES.     

The experiences of migrants to Australia who stutter

PurposeMigration is a contemporary, global matter. With the number of international migrants doubling over the past four decades, speech-language pathologists will likely work with migrants who have childhood-onset stuttering. However, combined migration and stuttering experiences have never been investigated specifically. This study is the first to investigate the experiences of migrants to Australia who stutter.MethodsThree women and six men, aged 23 to 66 years old, participated. Data from individual interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to examine the ‘lived experience’ of participants, as well as with NVivo 12 software for the management of coding. Participants also completed The Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES™).ResultsThe stress experienced from migration interacted and compounded the existing stress of stuttering. Central themes emerged pertaining to the impact of increased stress on self-identity, the interactions of the stresses, as well as the coping strategies/facilitators. Stuttering and other personal factors, such as language(s) spoken and accent, had a negative impact on communication skills.ConclusionMigration cannot be experienced independently of a stutter, as both are intrinsically linked to self-identity. The combined stress of migration with stuttering amplified the perception of feeling abnormal and resulted in difficulties with establishing a stable self-identity and a sense of belonging in the new context. Participants found strength in the company of others and considered Australia to be accepting of stuttering.     

Evaluating three stuttering assessments through network analysis,random forests and cluster analysis

PurposeIn stuttering, cognitive and behavioural variables interact in nonlinear fashion. These variables can be assessed by instruments which evaluate perceived impact of stuttering and stuttering severity. We applied three statistical methods in combination to the analysis of three assessment protocols to discover relationships within and between the tests to better understand variations in behavioural and social aspects of stuttering.MethodsScores from Stuttering Severity Index (SSI-IV), Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering scale (OASES), and Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering scale (UTBAS), collected from 26 participants were compared using three statistical methods: network analysis, random forests, and cluster analysis.ResultsNetwork analysis demonstrated that SSI-IV only weakly interacts with a quality of life index (OASES) and a self-perception and belief systems index (UTBAS). Random forest analyses revealed the last two measures relate strongly to each other. The results from cluster analysis suggest a) a possible regrouping of OASES items and b) a possible use of one UTBAS scale instead of the three.ConclusionA combination of three statistical methods allowed us to evaluate the three assessments in more depth. The lack of interaction between the SSI-IV on the one hand, and OASES and UTBAS on the other, suggests that the network of the three commonly used stuttering assessments may be fractured in a non-productive way. A potential gap may exist for an assessment tool that would link behavioural and social aspects of stuttering.     

Resilience in people who stutter: Association with covert and overt characteristics of stuttering

PurposeRecent literature stresses the importance of resilience, as a trait, for successful coping with life’s difficulties or stressors. However, only a limited number of studies were conducted on resilience among people-who-stutter (PWS). These studies did not examine the association between resilience and the specific characteristics of stuttering. This study was, therefore, aimed to directly examine the association between resilience and measures of both the covert and overt characteristics of stuttering.MethodThirty adults who stutter completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Overall Assessment of Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering - Adults (OASES-A). In addition, stuttering severity of all participants was quantified using the Stuttering Severity Instrument-4 (SSI-4). The associations between all measures were examined statistically.ResultsA strong and significant association was found between the participants' scores on the CD-RISC and the OASES-A (r= -.79, p < .001). In contrast, no significant correlation was found between the participants' scores in the CD-RISC and the SSI-4 (r = .02, p > .05). Within our cohort, no significant association was observed between the participants’ gender and age and their resilience levels (p > 0.05).ConclusionThis study demonstrates the role of resilience in shaping the individual's experience with stuttering. Results also show that the individuals' resilience levels do not necessarily predict stuttering severity per se, or its overt manifestations but can predict the individuals' subjective perception of his/her stuttering. This highlights the importance of addressing and promoting resilience among PWS in stuttering therapy.     

Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES): documenting multiple outcomes in stuttering treatment

This paper describes a new instrument for evaluating the experience of the stuttering disorder from the perspective of individuals who stutter. Based on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health [World Health Organization (2001). The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, & Health. Geneva: World Health Organization], the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES) collects information about the totality of the stuttering disorder, including: (a) general perspectives about stuttering, (b) affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to stuttering, (c) functional communication difficulties, and (d) impact of stuttering on the speaker's quality of life. This paper summarizes scale development, reliability and validity assessment, and scoring procedures so clinicians and researchers can use the OASES to add to the available evidence about the outcomes of a variety of treatment approaches for adults who stutter. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: As a result of this activity, participants will be able to: (1) identify key issues related to the documentation of treatment outcomes in stuttering; (2) discuss the components of the international classification of functioning, disability, and health as they relate to the documentation of stuttering treatment outcomes; (3) evaluate and use a new measurement instrument for assessing the outcomes of stuttering treatment from the perspective of the person who stutters.     

The effects of actors vocal exercises for relaxation on fluency: A preliminary study

PurposeTo determine the efficacy of treatment based on Kristin Linklater’s technique for vocal preparation for performance for use with people who stutter.MethodA protocol for a treatment for stuttering involving breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and focus on awareness was designed by the first author from Linklater’s published exercises in her book Freeing the Natural Voice (2006). Four adults who stutter participated in a 12-week, single-case reversal design study. Treatment efficacy was determined by baseline and post-treatment measures on the OASES, self-report naturalness, tension and severity scale, and percentage of stuttering-like disfluency (SLD). Qualitative measures included a daily tension and practice log, a program completion questionnaire, and accounts from the clinicians administering the treatment protocol.ResultsThree of four participants scored lower on the OASES post-treatment, suggesting that the impact of stuttering on their daily lives had decreased. All four experienced a reduction in the number of SLD counted throughout treatment sessions compared to baseline data.ConclusionA treatment for stuttering based on Linklater’s work including regulation of breathing, relaxation, and awareness of breath may be effective in improving fluency and decreasing the impact of stuttering and warrants further study.     

The experience of stuttering among Ultra-Orthodox and Secular/Traditional Jews

PurposeThis groundbreaking research compares the experience of stuttering among adult male People Who Stutter (PWS) from the ultra-Orthodox (UO) Jewish community in Israel to those from Secular/Traditional (ST) backgrounds.MethodsParticipants were 32 UO and 31 ST PWS, aged 18–67 years. Self-report questionnaires utilized: Perceived Stuttering Severity (PSS); Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES-A); Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS); Situation Avoidance Behavior Checklist (SABC). Demographic, religious, and stuttering information was collected. Groups were compared on scales, and correlations between scales and the PSS.ResultsSubjective stuttering severity ratings were significantly higher among the UO. A significant group effect was found for the OASES-A quality of life subscale, but not other subscales. Significant positive correlations were found between: 1) PSS and OASES-A Total Impact; 2) PSS and 3 OASES subscales; and 3) PSS and SABC (indicating increased avoidance with increased stuttering severity rating). A significant negative correlation was found between the PSS and SLSS, indicating lower life satisfaction with higher rates of stuttering severity among the ST. Interestingly, when tested by group, significant correlations between the PSS and all other study measures were observed only among the ST.ConclusionUO participants showed higher subjective stuttering severity ratings, yet less impact on quality of life, and no correlation between subjective stuttering and other measures of stuttering experience. These novel findings may result from the combined protective effect of religiosity and socio-cultural characteristics on UO PWS’ well-being, despite heightened concern about social consequences of stuttering within UO society.     

The Japanese version of the overall assessment of the speaker’s experience of stuttering for adults (OASES-A-J): Translation and psychometric evaluation

PurposeThis study evaluates the psychometric performance of the Japanese version of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering for Adults (OASES-A), a comprehensive assessment tool of individuals who stutter.MethodsThe OASES-A-J was administered to 200 adults who stutter in Japan. All respondents also evaluated their own speech (SA scale), satisfaction of their own speech (SS scale) and the Japanese translation version of the Modified Erickson Communication Attitude scale (S-24). The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the OASES-A-J were assessed. To examine the concurrent validity of the questionnaire, Pearson correlation was conducted between the OASES-A-J Impact score and the S-24 scale, SA scale and SS scale. In addition, Pearson correlation among the impact scores of each section and total were calculated to examine the construct validity.ResultsThe OASES-A-J showed a good test-retest reliability (r = 0.81–0.95) and high internal consistency (α > 0.80). Concurrent validity was moderate to high (0.55–0.75). Construct validity was confirmed by the relation between internal consistency in each section and correlation among sections’ impact scores. Japanese adults showed higher negative impact for ‘General Information’, ‘Reactions to Stuttering’ and ‘Quality of Life’ sections.ConclusionThese results suggest that the OASES-A-J is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the impact of stuttering on Japanese adults who stutter. The OASES-A-J could be used as a clinical tool in Japanese stuttering field.     

Communication attitudes in children who stutter: A meta-analytic review

BackgroundThis article presents a meta-analytic review of differences in communication attitudes between children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS).MethodTo be included in this review, the studies had to include a group of CWS and CWNS between the ages of 3–18 years and a measurement of communication attitudes. The journal articles were identified by using the key words stutter*, speech disfluenc*, fluency disorder*, and stammer* cross-referenced to awareness*, reaction*, attitude*, KiddyCAT, CAT, A-19 Scale, PASS and OASES.ResultsA total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. The results showed that CWS exhibit more negative communication attitudes than CWNS from the preschool years. The differences between the groups increased with age, but were not influenced by gender.ConclusionThe results indicate that negative communication attitudes can be an effect of stuttering. Key issues requiring further investigation are whether communication attitudes differ as a function of age at stuttering onset and whether communication attitudes influence the development of stuttering.Educational Objectives: After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (a) summarise empirical findings with regard to the relationship between communication attitudes and childhood stuttering; (b) describe the different instruments used to measure communication attitudes; (c) discuss the relationship between communication attitudes, age and gender.     

Origin and Pawn scaling for adults who do and do not stutter: A preliminary comparison

PurposeIn order to determine whether adults who stutter (AWS) would show changes in locus of causality during stuttering treatment and approximate those of adults who do not stutter (AWNS) this preliminary study compared the locus of causality as indicated by Origin and Pawn scaling procedures from two groups of young adults who do and do not stutter.MethodA total of 20 age- and gender-matched undergraduate and graduate students who did (n = 10) and did not (n = 10) stutter participated. The AWS took part in a three week intensive stuttering treatment provided by the American Institute for Stuttering (AIS). Along with measures of treatment outcome, writing samples were analyzed for Origin and Pawn statements that indicated the participant's locus of causality.ResultsAt the outset of treatment the AWS showed significantly greater Pawn scores than the control group of AWNS and similar occurrences of Origin statements. The AWS showed a statistically significant increase in pre- to post-treatment Origin scores and a statistically significant decrease in Pawn scores. Following treatment the AWS showed the Origin and Pawn score ratios similar to those of AWNS.ConclusionA pattern of increasing Origin and decreasing Pawn scores may indicate a pattern of increasing agency during successful stuttering treatment. Moreover the post-treatment Origin and Pawn score ratios of AWS, which were not significantly different from those of AWNS, may indicate a change trend toward normalization. Further research will determine whether such change patterns are predictive of long-term maintenance.Educational Objectives: By reading this article the reader will be able to: (a) describe advantages of content analysis measure such as the Origin and Pawn Scales; (b) discuss the purposes and procedures of the Origin and Pawn Scales; (c) describe typical change pattern of Origin and Pawn scores of adults who stutter while receiving treatment; (d) discuss how successful treatment for stuttering can result in the normalization of one's locus of causality.     

Psychometric evaluation of the Dutch translation of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering for adults (OASES-A-D)

The Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering for adults (OASES-A; [Yaruss and Quesal, 2006] and [Yaruss and Quesal, 2010]) is a patient-reported outcome measure that was designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of “the experience of the stuttering disorder from the perspective of individuals who stutter” (Yaruss & Quesal, 2006, p. 90). This paper reports on the translation process and evaluates the psychometric performance of a Dutch version of the OASES-A. Translation of the OASES-A into Dutch followed a standard forward and backward translation process. The Dutch OASES-A (OASES-A-D) was then administered to 138 adults who stutter. A subset of 91 respondents also evaluated their speech on a 10-point Likert scale. For another subset of 45 respondents, a clinician-based stuttering severity rating on a 5-point Likert scale was available. Thirty-two of the respondents also completed the Dutch S-24 scale (Brutten & Vanryckeghem, 2003). The OASES-A-D showed acceptable item properties. No ceiling effects were observed. For 30 out of 100 items, most of which were in Section IV (Quality of Life), floor effects were observed. Cronbach's α coefficients for all sections and subsections surpassed the 0.70 criterion of good internal consistency and reliability. Concurrent validity was moderate to high. Construct validity was confirmed by distinct scores on the OASES-A-D for groups with different levels of stuttering severity as rated by the speakers themselves or by clinicians. These results suggest that the OASES-A-D is a reliable and valid measure that can be used to assess the impact of stuttering on Dutch adults who stutter.Educational objectives: The reader will be able to: (a) describe the purpose of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering for adults (OASES-A) measurement tool; (b) summarize the translation process used in creating the Dutch version of the OASES-A (OASES-A-D); (c) evaluate the psychometric properties of the OASES-A-D; and (d) compare the psychometric properties of the OASES-A-D with those of the original American English OASES-A.     

A speech and psychological profile of treatment-seeking adolescents who stutter

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between stuttering severity, psychological functioning, and overall impact of stuttering, in a large sample of adolescents who stutter.MethodParticipants were 102 adolescents (11–17 years) seeking speech treatment for stuttering, including 86 boys and 16 girls, classified into younger (11–14 years, n = 57) and older (15–17 years, n = 45) adolescents. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between speech and psychological variables and overall impact of stuttering.ResultsThe impact of stuttering during adolescence is influenced by a complex interplay of speech and psychological variables. Anxiety and depression scores fell within normal limits. However, higher self-reported stuttering severity predicted higher anxiety and internalizing problems. Boys reported externalizing problems—aggression, rule-breaking—in the clinical range, and girls reported total problems in the borderline-clinical range. Overall, higher scores on measures of anxiety, stuttering severity, and speech dissatisfaction predicted a more negative overall impact of stuttering.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the largest cohort study of adolescents who stutter. Higher stuttering severity, speech dissatisfaction, and anxiety predicted a more negative overall impact of stuttering, indicating the importance of carefully managing the speech and psychological needs of adolescents who stutter. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between stuttering and externalizing problems for adolescent boys who stutter.     

The social and communication impact of stuttering on adolescents and their families

Purpose

Stuttering can cause wide ranging psychosocial impact. This is particularly the case for adolescents who may face additional physical, emotional and personality changes as they become adults. This study reports the findings of an investigation into the social and communication impacts of stuttering on Australian adolescents seeking treatment for stuttering and their families.

Method

A cross-sectional design utilising questionnaires assessed the self-perceived communication competence and apprehension, stigma and disclosure, and experiences of teasing and bullying of 36 adolescents who stutter. Additionally, the impact of stuttering on the families of these adolescents was investigated.

Results

Adolescents who stutter have below average self-perceived communication competence, heightened communication apprehension, are teased and bullied more often than fluent peers, and they try to keep their stuttering secret. The families of the adolescents in the study reported high levels of emotional strain, family conflict and difficulty managing their child's frustrations.

Conclusion

The findings from this study emphasise the wide-ranging impact of stuttering beyond the surface level behaviours. Clinicians working with adolescents who stutter should take note of both the outcomes of this study and the suggestions for more effectively coping with the condition in this population.Educational objectives: The reader will be able to: (a) summarise findings with regards to the impact of stuttering on an adolescent's social and communication skills; (b) summarise areas of impact on the families of adolescents who stutter; (c) compare these findings with previous reported data for this population; (d) discuss the clinical implications of the results for working with adolescents who stutter and their families.     

Responses of adults who stutter to the anticipation of stuttering

PurposeMany people who stutter experience the phenomenon of anticipation—the sense that stuttering will occur before it is physically and overtly realized. A systematic investigation of how people who stutter respond to anticipation has not been previously reported. The purposes of this study were to provide self-report evidence of what people do in response to anticipation of stuttering and to determine the extent to which this anticipation occurs.MethodsThirty adults who stutter indicated on a Likert rating scale the extent to which they anticipate stuttering and answered three open-ended (written) questions regarding how they respond to anticipation.ResultsAll participants reported experiencing anticipation at least “sometimes,” and 77% of the participants reported experiencing anticipation “often” or “always.” The extent to which participants reported experiencing anticipation was not related to stuttering severity, impact, or treatment history. Analysis of written responses revealed 24 major categories, which were heuristically divided into action or non-action responses. Categories representing avoidance and self-management strategies were further divided into 14 and 19 subcategories, respectively. Participants were just as likely to view anticipation as helpful as they were to view it as harmful.ConclusionFindings demonstrate that most, if not all, adults who stutter experience anticipation, and the majority of adults who stutter report doing so at least often. Adults who stutter respond to this anticipation by altering the speech production process in various ways. Results highlight the importance of the role that anticipation plays in how stuttering behaviors manifest themselves.Educational Objectives: The reader will be able to: (a) summarize existing literature on the anticipation of stuttering; (b) describe the role and extent of anticipation of stuttering in adults; (c) describe the various ways that adults who stutter respond to anticipation; (d) describe the importance of measuring anticipation in clinical and research domains.