A Questionnaire for Parents of Children Who Stutter Attending a Self-Help Convention

Abstract

Purpose To examine the attitudes and feelings of parents of children who stutter attending an annual convention for children who stutter. Method A survey consisting of demographic information, 30 questions regarding parents' feelings and attitudes using a 5-point Likert scale, and 3 open-ended questions was created by the authors and completed by 45 parents of children who stutter attending a convention for children who stutter. Results Parents attending the support group convention were comfortable with and knowledgeable about stuttering. Parents reported that they attended the convention to support their children and themselves and to gain information regarding stuttering. Parents were most concerned that stuttering would impact their children's future and hoped that their children would become happy, confident, and effective communicators. New attendees were less comfortable answering a question regarding the cause of stuttering than were returning parents, and fathers were less likely than mothers to work on therapy homework with their child. Conclusions This is the first study of parents who attend stuttering support groups. The results indicated these parents were comfortable and knowledgeable about stuttering. More research regarding feelings and attitudes of parents of children who stutter, and the impact of support groups on parents, is needed.

Mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes toward stuttering in the Middle East compared to Europe and North America

“…Whereas the differences in attitudes of mothers and fathers observed in this study are not likely distinct enough to warrant fundamentally different approaches in the treatment of childhood stuttering, they strongly suggest an important clinical reality. From the perspective of children and teens who stutter, there are often differences between the sexes that could have an impact on parent therapy involvement (Klein et al., 2015) and the parent with whom the stuttering child prefers to speak (Hughes et al., 2015). It should be noted that such studies that take into account the viewpoint of the child are rare and stem from Western regions, especially the United States.…”

“…Qualitative data also suggest that there may also be differences in parental attitudes toward stuttering based on demographic variables. For example, fathers are less likely to engage with their child when doing therapeutic activities at home (Klein et al., 2015). Adolescents who stutter reported discussing stuttering differently with their mothers and fathers, with a preference for talking with mothers (Hughes et al., 2015).…”