Stephanie Hughes

Recounting the K-12 school experiences of adults who stutter: A qualitative analysis

UNLABELLED This study qualitatively explored the primary and secondary (K-12) school experiences of adults who stutter. The primary investigator conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 participants, a first focus group interview with 6 participants, and a second focus group interview with 4 participants. Participants discussed the various ways in which stuttering affected their personality; emotional and psychological experiences in the context of school; academic and learning experiences; classroom participation; teacher and peer relationships; speech therapy experiences; school activity involvement; and post-educational experiences. Results suggest that school is a complex cultural environment in which students must engage on academic and social levels. People who stutter may experience observable and unobservable challenges as they navigate the complexity of school. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (1) provide a rationale for the need to explore the school experiences of people who stutter; (2) describe the major themes associated with the school experiences of participants in the study; and (3) discuss how knowledge of school experiences can be useful to classroom teachers and speech-language pathologists.

University students' perceptions of the life effects of stuttering

An open-ended, written survey was administered to 146 university students who did not stutter to obtain their impressions of the effects of stuttering on the lives of people who stutter (PWS). Participants first wrote about the general effects of stuttering and then considered how their lives would be different if they stuttered. Both types of responses, while not qualitatively different, indicated that participants were more likely to focus on negative listener reactions and barriers to social, academic, and occupational success when they imagined themselves as PWS. Fewer participants indicated that PWS may positively cope with their stuttering through acceptance of stuttering, motivation and determination, and support systems. Quantitative differences based on gender and familiarity with PWS were not observed. The findings suggest that while university students are generally sensitive to the issues which can affect PWS, they may also tend to exaggerate the limitations placed on PWS by their stuttering. LEARNER OUTCOMES: The reader will be able to (1) understand the various ways in which fluent speakers perceive the life effects of stuttering; (2) discuss how fluent speakers, while apparently sensitive to the negative effects of stuttering, can also overemphasize the degree to which PWS are unable to participate effectively and autonomously in society; and (3) recognize the need for additional research in this area and for continued education of the general public and others by advocacy groups.

Acoustic characteristics of public speaking: Anxiety and practice effects

This study describes the relationship between acoustic characteristics, self-ratings, and listener-ratings of public speaking. The specific purpose of this study was to examine the effects of anxiety and practice on speech and voice during public speaking. Further examination of the data was completed to examine the illusion of transparency, which hypothesizes that public speakers think their anxiety is more noticeable to listeners than it really is. Self-rating and acoustic speech data were reported on two separate speeches produced by 16 college-aged individuals completing coursework in interpersonal communication. Results indicated that there were significant relationships between acoustic characteristics of speech and both self- and listener-ratings of anxiety in public speaking. However, self-ratings of anxiety were higher than listener ratings, indicating possible confirmation of the illusion of transparency. Finally, data indicate that practice patterns have a significant effect on the fluency characteristics of public speaking performance, as speakers who started practicing earlier were less disfluent than those who started later. Data are also discussed relative to rehabilitation for individuals with communication disorders that can be associated with public speaking anxiety.

Perceptions of voice disorders: a survey of Arab adults.

Abstract A disordered voice may lead to social stigma as well as reduced occupational opportunities. Much of the research on this topic has investigated the effects of voice disorders from a Western perspective. The societal attitudes of international populations toward people with voice disorders (PWVD) are less well known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of adults living in Kuwait toward PWVD. Participants completed a questionnaire that addressed social, educational, and occupational aspects of life for PWVD. The results indicated that while Kuwaiti adults hold generally positive attitudes toward PWVD, they may also perceive PWVD as more likely to be emotionally disturbed, have difficulty making friends or getting married, and experience trouble in finding a good job.

Attitudes of Arab university students and general public towards people who stutter

Abstract Speech-language pathology is a burgeoning field in many Arab countries, including Kuwait. While a small number of studies have investigated Kuwaiti attitudes toward stuttering and people who stutter (PWS), no such studies have been conducted with a broad sampling of the general public. In this study, a modified version of Bebout and Arthurs (1992) questionnaire to measure attitudes toward communication disorders was adapted into Arabic and administered to 943 university students and adult members of the general population living in Kuwait. Results indicated that attitudes toward stuttering and PWS in Kuwait are generally positive, though negative trends were observed for some items related to the perceived causes and traits of stuttering as well as vocational/societal inclusion of PWS. The findings indicate that members of the general public in Kuwait and other Arab countries could benefit from increased knowledge of stuttering and how to interact with PWS. Speech-language pathologists and PWS who conduct public awareness campaigns in these countries may find it prudent to adopt educational strategies, which are specific to their target populations.