E. Charles Healey

Clinicians’ Training and Confidence Associated With Treating School-Age Children Who Stutter: A National Survey

The purpose of this survey was to obtain updated information on school-based speech-language pathologists’ training, confidence, attitudes, and perceptions associated with treating school-age child...

An acoustic analysis of fluctuations in the voices of normal adult speakers across three times of day

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of variation for several vocal parameters across three times of the day (morning, noon, and afternoon). Connected speech samples from normal adult males (N = 10) and females (N = 10) were recorded during morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon. Results showed that males produced a statistically significant increase in speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) from morning to afternoon. Females did not demonstrate a statistically significant change in SFF across the three time periods. Vocal amplitude did not change significantly for either group. The SFF variability was higher for the females than for the males. Analysis of individual data revealed that the patterns of vocal change across the three times of day were not consistent among the subjects.

A comparison between children who stutter and their normally fluent peers on a story retelling task

Narratives produced during a story-retelling task by 12 children who stutter and matched normally fluent peers were compared. Each narrative was analyzed for inclusion of story grammar components and level of sophistication. Additionally, the narratives produced by the children who stuttered were analyzed to determine the existence of a relationship between stuttering frequency and level of sophistication of the narrative. There were no significant group differences in the narratives and a weak relationship between narrative complexity and stuttering frequency. Qualitative analysis of the narratives revealed three subgroups of children who stutter, indicating that for some of these children, subtle language impairment may be a component of the fluency disorder.

ADHD and Stuttering: A Tutorial

UNLABELLED The purpose of this tutorial is twofold. The first is to provide a brief description of some of the key diagnostic features of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for speech-language pathologists who might not be knowledgeable about this disorder. The second purpose is to provide information and suggestions about treating children who stutter and who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Specific information is provided regarding medication used to treat ADHD symptoms as well as the minimal documented evidence of its impact on stuttering. Suggestions for educational, behavioral, and cognitive management of children who stutter and have ADHD also are discussed. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES The reader will learn about and be able to: (1) identify diagnostic criteria for children with ADHD; (2) differentiate pharmacological, environmental, and behavioral interventions for children with ADHD; and (3) examine effective instructional techniques for children who stutter and have ADHD.

Strategies for Treating Elementary School-Age Children Who Stutter: An Integrative Approach.

The speech-language pathologist plays a critical role in the treatment of the elementary school-age child who stutters. The purpose of this article is to describe a model of service delivery for th...

A further analysis of narrative skills of children who stutter

This study tested for differences between children who stutter (CWS) and children with normally developing communication skills (CNC) on measures of narrative complexity and cohesion use in two narrative tasks. In addition, differences in stuttering frequency produced by CWS across tasks were measured. One story retelling and one story generation were elicited from eight CWS and eight age- and gender-matched CNC peers. Results revealed no significant differences between CWS and CNC for the measures of narrative complexity or cohesion use. However, significant differences were noted in stuttering frequency. Additionally, significant differences were found between the tasks for number of words, t-units, and episodes produced, as well as referents, conjunctions, and complete cohesive ties. Findings confirm that narrative abilities of CWS are similar to those of CNC, and that a retelling task produces longer and more elaborate narrative samples than does story generation. Directions for future research are discussed.

Elementary school students’ perceptions of stuttering: A mixed model approach

PURPOSE Past research studies have focused on perceptions of stuttering by various age groups and only a few have examined how children react to a peer who stutters. All of these studies used a quantitative analysis but only one included a qualitative analysis of elementary school age childrens responses to stuttering. The aim of this study was to further explore the perceptions of elementary school students toward a peer who stutters using both quantitative and qualitative analyses of three levels of stuttering. METHODS Participants included 88 elementary school children between 8 and 12 years of age. Each participant viewed one of four audiovisual samples of a peer producing fluent speech and mild, moderate, and severe simulated stuttering. Each participant then rated five Likert statements and answered three open-ended questions. RESULTS Quantitative and qualitative results indicated that negative ratings and the percentage of negative comments increased as the frequency of stuttering increased. However, the children in this study indicated that they were comfortable listening to stuttering and would be comfortable making friends with the peer who stutters. CONCLUSION The findings of this study together with past research in this area should help clinicians and their clients appreciate the range of social and emotional reactions peers have of a child who stutters. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (a) discuss past research regarding childrens perceptions of stuttering; (b) summarize the need to explore the perceptions of elementary-aged children toward a peer who stutters; (c) describe the major quantitative and qualitative findings of childrens perceptions of stuttering; and (d) discuss the need for disseminating more information about stuttering to children and teachers.