Stuttering as a Handicap: an Attitude Survey

Date of Graduation

Spring 1996

Degree

Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Department

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Committee Chair

Klaas Bakker

Abstract

In this study, through emperical means, a clinical tool was developed for measuring the extent to which stuttering presents a handicap to the client in three potential aspects of life (i.e. perceived voactional/professional, personal/social, and educational success). Twenty individuals who stutter responded to 117 statements expressing their perceptions of the degree of handicap encountered by dysfluent speakers in the work place (n=23), in personal life and social interactions in general (n=72), and education (n=22). Item analysis and factor analysis were used to arrive at the most powerful combinations of items for expressing the targeted attitudinal dimensions. Intercorrelational analysis revealed that the resulting subtests represented unique and independent statistical dimensions. Furthermore, two of the subtests (personal/social and education related) were independent of results with the Erickson S-24. The final version of the questionnaire reflects strong potential to be of use to clinicians who have a need to measure the degree to which stuttering is perceived as a handicap for their clients.

Subject Categories

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Copyright

© Robey A. Wilkie

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Dissertation/Thesis

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