Digital Commons Network^™

Reframing The Goals Of Stuttering Therapy, Maxwell Atzemis

2023 SLP Posters

Stuttering therapy is a distant cousin to many other subfields of Speech and Language Pathology. Incorporating many client feelings, beliefs, and attitudes compared to other subfields we practice.

The Intersectionality Of Stuttering And Aging, Mary Elizabeth Herring

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore relationships between stuttering and aging so that speech-language pathologists can be informed about the intersectionality of these identities.

Three adult men who stutter, all over the age of 65, were interviewed in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed with in-vivo coding to find codes and themes between participants. From the interviews, 20 categories were identified. These categories were then funneled into four overarching themes: 1) Personal factors impacted by stuttering, 2) Stuttering perspectives across the lifespan, 3) Stuttering therapy experiences, and 4) Covert stuttering.

This study shows that attitudes, perspectives, and experiences …

Resilience Training And Quality Of Life In Stuttering Therapy: A Systematic Review, Ashley Koehler

Honors Theses

Abstract

This study investigated correlations between resilience and quality of life relative to stuttering therapy. A systematic review and meta-analysis of articles published with focuses on stuttering, resilience training, and quality of life was conducted. Electronic databases, PubMed, and Google Scholar, were used to gain results of relevant published articles. Both search engines in this review produced relevant articles. Google Scholar produced more articles that met all 3 inclusion criteria, while PubMed produced more results that met at least 1 or 2 inclusion criteria. From both databases, numerous articles included the need for a multidimensional therapy emphasizing personal resilience. However, …

Resilience Training & Parental Support For Children Who Stutter - A Systematic Review, Rachel Elizabeth Davis

Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between emotional resilience and family/parental/caregiver support for children who stutter, and to review existing research on resilience training and family support relative to enhancing the quality of life in children who stutter. Thus, A systematic review of appropriate published studies was conducted utilizing the electronic databases PubMed and Google Scholar. Analysis revealed that there is an abundance of research supporting parental support and resilience training; however, there was limited direct clinical application relative to the unification of these concepts. Data indicates that the clinical application of emotional resilience and cognitive …

Mental Health Professionals' Beliefs About, Reactions Toward, And Overall Impression Of Stuttering, Elise Anne Nasser

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study is to better understand mental health professionals' beliefs, reactions, overall impression, and familiarity with stuttering to gain insight into areas where they may need more support. Some people who stutter develop increased levels of anxiety because of negative evaluation from the public (Iverach & Rapee, 2014). It is likely that a sub-group of people who stutter may benefit from mental health services; however, misinformation about stuttering may serve as a barrier in effective service provision for those who work with people who stutter (Ginsberg & Wexler, 2000). Quantitative survey data (Public Opinion Survey of …

Neurogenic Stuttering: Exploring Potential Emotional And Life Impact, Natalie Devries

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to explore the potential emotional and life impact of living with neurogenic stuttering and how and when an impact develops, if present. The current diagnostic criteria for neurogenic stuttering includes no emotional impact (Canter, 1971). The literature is divided in supporting this criterion (Lebrun et al., 1990; Leder et al., 1996; Perino et al., 2000; Theys et al., 2008; Tani &Sakai, 2011; Ellis & Sheehy, 2013; Vanhoutte et al., 2014). The current study relied on qualitative interviewing which was analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis to explore potential for emotional and life impact (Braun …

Living With Stuttering: Authenticity, Identity, And Mental Health, Sarah Musilli

Masters Theses

In an effort to manage stigma, some PWS attempt to conceal stuttering and pass as a fluent speaker (Constantino et al., 2017). These efforts to conceal may be counterintuitive, as concealment of stuttering is predictive of elevated distress (Gerlach et al., 2021) and decreased quality of life among PWS (Boyle et. al., 2018). Although this association exists, the factors explaining how and why it exists are unexplored. Identity conflict and feelings of in/authenticity are two potential factors that are explored in this study. Qualitative interviewing supplemented with quantitative survey data is utilized to explore the lived experiences of identity conflict …

Successful Aging In Adults Who Stutter: Exploring Predictors Of Physical And Mental Health-Related Quality Of Life, Amanda Kelly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate predictors of physical and mental health quality of life in aging adults who stutter (AWS). Our goal was to identify factors contributing to successful aging in this talker group. The aging population is expected to increase exponentially over the next twenty years. Factors influencing self-perceived health-related quality of life have yet to be investigated in aging AWS.

An online survey was completed by a total of 40 AWS, age 50 years and older, recruited from the Greater Tampa Bay region and nationally. The survey comprised multiple measures that probed for information regarding self-perceived health …

The Effects Of Disclosure On Perceptions Of Different Overt Stuttering Severity Levels, Katelyn Geringswald

Honors Theses

This study measured perceptions of a 17-year-old adolescent male who stutters, relative to select speech skills and personality characteristics, as a function of self-disclosure at various overt severity levels. 983 participants were assigned one of the four conditions, including (1) a no-disclosure control group, (2) mild stuttering severity self-disclosure, (3) moderate stuttering severity self-disclosure, and (4) severe stuttering severity self-disclosure. Participants assigned to the control condition viewed only a primary video stimulus of a 17-year-old adolescent who stutters. Participants assigned to one of the three experimental conditions (mild, moderate, or severe severity disclosure) watched a brief self-disclosure statement, followed by …

The Effect Of Advocate Disclosure On The Perceptions Of A Young Adult Who Stutters, Madeline Simpson

Honors Theses

This between-group study designed weighed the effects of stuttering disclosure on the perceptions of a 17-year-old male who stutters, relative to perceived speech skills and personality characteristics. 1225 participants were included in the dataset analysis with a balanced distribution across all ranges. The conditions used in this study include (1) control condition (no disclosure), as well as experimental conditions including: (2) father disclosure, (3) male coach disclosure, (4) female teacher disclosure, (5) girlfriend disclosure, and (6) female speech-language pathologist. Participants in the control group only viewed the primary video stimulus, while participants in the experimental groups viewed one of the …

Authentic Representations Of Youth Who Stutter: An Analysis Of Children's And Adolescent Literature, Claire Elizabeth Howerton

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This analysis seeks to explore the way in which characters who stutter are portrayed in children’s and adolescent literature. Using Joan Blaska’s criteria for reviewing depictions of characters with disabilities, I consider eight texts in how affectively they present the disability of stuttering and their main character. The eight texts considered include picture books, graphic novels, and traditional novels all centering on the story of a main character who stutters were considered. Four of these books are designed for ages four to twelve and are analyzed as children’s literature and the other four are written for ages eleven to eighteen …

Positive Messages And Traditional Therapy For Three Children With Persistent Stuttering, Nola T. Radford

Audiology and Speech Pathology Publications and Other Works

As children age, they are less likely to experience spontaneous recovery from stuttering and are likely to develop negative attitudes about talking, necessitating counselling to address these feelings. The current exploratory case study examines children’s response to traditional speech therapy to address fluency combined with a programmed message to modify negative attitudes about talking. A standard narration, saved to a compact disk (CD), was used as a counselling experience for children, ages 6, 7, and 10;11 years, recruited from a university clinic predominantly serving African American children. A one-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test was performed to examine differences in stuttering across three …

Emotional Reactivity And Regulation In Preschool-Age Children Who Do And Do Not Stutter: Evidence From Autonomic Nervous System Measures, Victoria Tumanova, Blair Wilder, Julia Gregoire, Michaela Baratta, Rachel Razza

Communication Sciences and Disorders - All Scholarship

Purpose: This experimental cross-sectional research study examined the emotional reactivity and emotion regulation in preschool-age children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS) by assessing their psychophysiological response during rest and while viewing pictures from the International Affective Picture System (Lang et al., 2008). Method: Participants were 18 CWS (16 boys and two girls; mean age 4 years, 5 months) and 18 age- and gender-matched CWNS. Participants’ psychophysiological responses were measured during two baselines and two picture viewing conditions. Skin conductance level (SCL) and heart rate were measured to assess emotional reactivity. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured to …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Contextual Variability And Anticipation Of Stuttering, Amanda D. Ortiz-Alvarez

Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

Stuttering is a neurologically based speech impairment often defined by listener-oriented parameters (i.e., its overt characteristics). These fail to encompass contextual variability and anticipation, two facets of the speaker’s experience which, though frequently encountered by people who stutter (PWS), remain poorly understood and largely under-researched. To better understand the subjective underpinnings of these phenomena, as well as how PWS conceptualize and relate to their stuttering, the present study sought to explore a) the experiences of PWS with the unpredictable and/or variable nature of their stuttering, as well as their beliefs surrounding potential contributors to its variability; b) the experiences of …

Stigma And The Hispanic Stuttering Experience: A Qualitative Study, Leslee Dean

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stigmatization of stuttering has profound effects on the education, employment, and mental health of people who stutter. While there is a large body of research into the impact of stuttering stigma, few studies have considered the effects of cultural differences. The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth analysis of how Hispanic adults who stutter experience stigma. To do so, seven Hispanic/Latino adults who stutter were interviewed using ethnographic interviewing techniques. A thematic analysis of participants’ narrative responses gave rise to four major themes: Family, Stigma in Society, Stuttering Experiences in Cultural and Linguistic Contexts, and Stigma’s …

Self-Disclosure And Physiological Responses Among Adults Who Stutter, Sulema Rodriguez, Megann Mcgill

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Purposes: (1) To explore self-disclosure, physiological and affective responses in easy and difficult speaking situations, (2) to investigate physiological and affective responses in self-disclosure and no self-disclosure speaking contexts, (3) to examine types of self-disclosure statements used along with physiological responses, (4) and to gain an understanding of reasons why and how adults who stutter choose to self-disclose or not self-disclose about their stuttering.

Method: Four adults who stutter were randomly assigned to self-disclosure and non self-disclosure speaking contexts. Heart rate, skin conductance, and affective responses were measured during the following focus areas: 1) start baseline, 2) anticipation of the …

The Stuttering Characteristics Of Spanish-English Bilingual Adult Speakers, Sima Sokolov

University Honors Theses

As the number of bilinguals and multilinguals continues to grow globally, researchers and clinicians in the field of speech-language pathology are faced with a unique challenge and opportunity - the need to understand the experiences of bilingual and multilingual clients who stutter. Yet, research and clinical guidelines about assessment and treatment of bilinguals who stutter has been scarce. There is a critical need for research to explore the types of stuttering produced by bilinguals in each of their languages. This research study has two aims: (1) to compare and contrast stuttering characteristics in two languages (English and Spanish) and across …

Differential Effects Of Verbal And Written Disclosure On Perceptions Of A Child Who Stutters, Peyton Mcknight

Honors Theses

This study measured perceptions of a 12-year-old boy who stutters, relative to perceived speech skills and personal characteristics, as a function of seven potential stuttering disclosure conditions, featuring either a personal verbal disclosure, written disclosure, or no disclosure, delivered by various authors (i.e., self/child, mother, teacher). 641 participants college-aged adults were randomly assigned to one of seven stuttering disclosure groups: no disclosure control, verbal self-disclosure, written self-disclosure, verbal mother disclosure, written mother disclosure, verbal teacher disclosure, or written teacher disclosure. Participants in the control group viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters reciting a short passage. Participants …

The Effects Of Written Stuttering Disclosure On Young Adult's Perceptions Of Children Who Stutter, Ashlee Manahan

Honors Theses

Abstract:

Purpose: This study measured between-group differences in perceived speech skills and personality characters of a 12-year-old male child who stutters (CWS) as a function of a written factual stuttering disclosure statement, delivered by a male CWS, his “mother”, and his “teacher”.

Methods: Four-hundred twenty-four college aged adults were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The groups included three experimental groups (i.e. written self-disclosure, written mother-disclosure, written teacher disclosure) and a control group (no written disclosure). Participants in the control condition viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters. In the experimental conditions, participants viewed a brief …

Perceptions Of Guilt Of Individuals With A Visible Communication Disorder Versus An Invisible Communication Disorder, Zoe Hochberg

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explored how communication disorders may impact listeners’ perception of guilt. More specifically, it looked at how visible communication disorders (e.g., stuttering) and invisible communication disorders (e.g., high functioning autism) are judged by the general public. 51 adults (18-71 years) participated in the study which asked them to view video recordings of narrative samples produced by an individual who stuttered (PWS), an individual with high-functioning autism (PHFA), and an individual with no communication disorder (PNCD). Participants were not informed of the individuals’ communication abilities (PWS, PHFA, or PNCD), but were told that one of the individuals had committed a …

Teachers' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Children Who Stutter, Kathryn Knight

Honors Theses

A teacher's knowledge about stuttering and perceptions of children who stutter increases positivity with years of teaching experience and the number of hours of special needs-in-service.

Fluency And Sound System Disorder: What To Do?, Madeline Broekelmann

2020 SLP Posters

Stuttering is a complex disorder that requires a multi-dynamic approach and becomes increasingly more complex when a comorbidity is present; therefore, this poster will present the available data on the comorbidity of fluency and sound system disorders in preschool aged children. Specifically, this poster will provide background information relating to the epidemiology of stuttering in terms of onset, speech characteristics, predictive factors, and current evidence-based practice. Background information pertaining to a sound system disorder and common therapeutic approaches will be discussed as well. Research regarding current clinical practice when treating both disorders and the efficacy behind treating both at the …

Through Children's Eyes: Teaching Inclusivity And Understanding Of Communication Disorders With Children's Books, Rachel Peavler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

“Through Children’s Eyes” is a series of children’s books that focus on describing different aspects of four different communication disorders. The topics covered in the books include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dementia, and dysfluency. The illustrations were drawn and colored by hand, and the text and background were added digitally. The goal of this project was to create materials to effectively inform and instruct children about the nature of various cognitive, speech, and developmental differences to foster greater understanding of and tolerance towards people with communication differences.

Young Children’S Family History Of Stuttering And Their Articulation, Language And Attentional Abilities: An Exploratory Study, Victoria Tumanova, Dahye Choi, Edward G. Conture, Chagit E. Clark, Tedra A. Walden, Robin M. Jones

Communication Sciences and Disorders - All Scholarship

Purpose—The purpose of this study was to determine whether young children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS) with a positive versus negative family history of stuttering differ in articulation, language and attentional abilities and family histories of articulation, language and attention related disorders.

Method—Participants were 25 young CWS and 50 young CWNS. All 75 participants’ caregivers consistently reported a positive or negative family history of stuttering across three consecutive time points that were about 8 months apart for a total of approximately 16 months. Each participant’s family history focused on the same, relatively limited number of generations (i.e., …

Disclosure Of Stuttering And Quality Of Life In People Who Stutter, Michael Boyle, Kathryn M. Milewski, Carolina Beita-Ell

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: This study investigated the disclosure practices of people who stutter, and the relationship between disclosure of stuttering and quality of life. Method: Participants were 322 adults who stutter recruited from speech-language pathologists and support group leaders. Participants completed a survey that contained items measuring level of disclosure of stuttering, as well as a global measure of self-rated quality of life. Participants were grouped into low, average, and high quality of life subgroups. Analysis of variance tests compared disclosure levels among these subgroups. Results: The low quality of life subgroup reported significantly lower levels of disclosure compared to both the …

Self-Stigma And Its Associations With Stress, Physical Health, And Health Care Satisfaction In Adults Who Stutter, Michael Boyle, Alison N. Fearon

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify potential relationships between self-stigma (stigma awareness and stigma application) and stress, physical health, and health care satisfaction among a large sample of adults who stutter. It was hypothesized that both stigma awareness and stigma application would be inversely related to measures of physical health and health care satisfaction, and positively related to stress. Furthermore, it was anticipated that stress mediated the relationship between self-stigma and physical health. Method: A sample of adults who stutter in the United States (n = 397) completed a web survey that assessed levels of stigma awareness …

Enacted Stigma And Felt Stigma Experienced By Adults Who Stutter, Michael Boyle

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: The aim of this study was to (1) document the experiences of enacted stigma (external stigma, experienced discrimination) and felt stigma (anticipation and expectation of discrimination or negative treatment by others) in adults who stutter, (2) investigate their relationships to each other, and (3) investigate their relationships to global mental health. Method: Participants were 324 adults who stutter recruited from clinicians and self-help group leaders in the United States. Participants completed an anonymous web survey consisting of measures of enacted stigma, felt stigma, and global mental health. Data analysis focused on obtaining descriptive statistics for enacted stigma and felt …

Expressed Parental Concern Regarding Childhood Stuttering And The Test Of Childhood Stuttering, Victoria Tumanova, Dahye Choi, Edward G. Conture, Tedra A. Walden

Communication Sciences and Disorders - All Scholarship

Purpose—The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the Test of Childhood Stuttering observational rating scales (TOCS; Gillam, Logan & Pearson, 2009) (1) differed between parents who did versus did not express concern (independent from the TOCS) about their child’s speech fluency; (2) correlated with children’s frequency of stuttering measured during a child-examiner conversation; and (3) correlated with the length and complexity of children’s utterances, as indexed by mean length of utterance (MLU).

Method—Participants were 183 young children ages 3:0 to 5:11. Ninety-one had parents who reported concern about their child’s stuttering (65 boys, 26 girls) and 92 …

My Client Knows That He’S About To Stutter: How Can We Address Stuttering Anticipation During Therapy With Young People Who Stutter?, Eric S. Jackson, Hope Gerlach, Naomi H. Rodgers, Patricia M. Zebrowski

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Stuttering anticipation is endorsed by many people who stutter as a core aspect of the stuttering experience. Anticipation is primarily a covert phenomenon and people who stutter respond to anticipation in a variety of ways. At the same time as anticipation occurs and develops internally, for many individuals the “knowing” or “feeling” that they are about to stutter is a primary contributor to the chronicity of the disorder. In this article, we offer a roadmap for both understanding the phenomenon of anticipation and its relevance to stuttering development. We introduce the Stuttering Anticipation Scale (SAS)—a 25-item clinical tool that can …

Listener's Perceptions Of Stuttering, Katie Lauren Smith

Linguistics Senior Research Projects

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes disruptions in the normal flow of speech. Often, the disorder is accompanied by anxiety, stress, and discomfort in communication. Due to prominence of the disorder, stuttering can cause discomfort for both the listener and speaker. While some factors, such as level of fluency, familiarity with the disorder, and openness about the disorder can influence listener perceptions, the risk of negative stereotyping is high. In the following study, listener perceptions of stuttering are measured in a Christian, college-aged environment. 31 participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about stuttering. Of the 31, 6 …