The Journal of Fluency Disorders lists a research study by Shane Erickson and Susan Block titled
The social and communication impact of stuttering on adolescents and their families
Stuttering therapy has evolved over the years from only focusing on the physical disfluency to modern day approach of taking a more holistic approach. Most people (again not all) don’t stutter when we’re alone. So, if I’m capable of producing fluent speech in one context, then obviously it’s not just the physical part which needs to be addressed. Involving family in therapy is also an important element also researched in this study.
Abstract
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.
Tech Spinning 