The Utility of Stuttering Support Organization Conventions for Young People Who Stutter

The Utility of Stuttering Support Organization Conventions for Young People Who Stutter:

Publication date: Available online 5 October 2019
Source: Journal of Fluency Disorders
Author(s): Hope Gerlach, Julia Hollister, Lee Caggiano, Patricia M. Zebrowski

Abstract

Background

Stuttering Support Organizations (SSOs) are places where people who stutter can share their experiences with stuttering and lend support to each other. There is evidence that SSO participation may be helpful in reducing the negative impact of stuttering and promoting positive cognitive and affective changes in adults who stutter. The benefits of participating in SSO organizations for young people, however, are currently unknown.

Purpose

This study investigated the relationship between attending a multi-day SSO convention and cognitive and affective changes among young people who stutter (YPWS).

Methods

Twenty-two YPWS (ages 10 to 18) were recruited from the 2016 FRIENDS annual convention to participate in this study. FRIENDS is the National Association of Young People Who Stutter. A mixed methods approach was used to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data. The Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience with Stuttering (OASES) was administered at three times points: pre-convention, post-convention, and three months following the convention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants to further explain the quantitative results.

Results

Analysis of OASES scores across the three time points indicated that there were significant decreases in the negative impact of stuttering between pre-convention and post-convention measures. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interview transcripts revealed five themes related to community building, collaborative learning, cognitive and communicative changes, self-acceptance, and normalizing stuttering.

Conclusion

SSOs may be beneficial in reducing the negative impact of stuttering and should be considered a potentially valuable addition to traditional therapy for stuttering.