1. Using Teachers’ Perceptions in Assessment of Children who Stutter
Amanda Moon, Katrina Stewart, Craig Coleman, Brooke Thevenin, Caitlin Gavin, Shayla Scollick
Results
Background And Method
The purpose of this study was to determine teachers’ perspective of clients who stutter. This includes the affective (feelings and emotions), behavioral (observable characteristics), and cognitive (thoughts) components associated with the disorder. An assessment measure called the Community Centered Stuttering Assessment-Teachers (CCSA-T; Moon, Stewart, & Coleman, 2014) was developed utilizing a questionnaire comprised of different questions for a teacher of a child who stutters in order to gain valuable information that can be compared with the child’s perception of his or her stuttering on the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES) (Yaruss, Quesal, & Coleman, 2010). Seven participants were given the questionnaire during assessment prior to therapy. The CCSA-T contains questions that can be compared to sections on the OASES such as I. General information, II. Your Reactions to Stuttering, III. Communication in Daily Situations, and IV. Quality of Life. In addition, the CCSA-T provides qualitative information on the child’s stuttering. The primary questions on the CCSA-T that were analyzed in this study were:
Q1. Rate the severity level of the child’s stuttering.
1- Mild 2- Mild-Moderate 3- Moderate 4- Moderate-Severe 5-Severe
Q2. How often does the child experience bullying related to stuttering?
1- Never 2- Rarely 3- Sometimes 4- Frequently 5-Always
Describe any bullying or teasing that the child experiences because of
stuttering:
Q3. How often do other children make fun of the child’s speech?
1- Never 2- Rarely 3- Sometimes 4- Frequently 5- Always
Q4. How often does stuttering get in the way of the student’s academic
performance? 1- Never 2- Rarely 3- Sometimes 4-Frequently 5-Always
Describe any concerns related to academic performance and stuttering:
Q5. Rate the child’s overall participation in the classroom.
1- None 2- Low 3- Average 4- High 5- Very High
Describe any concerns related to classroom participation.
Q6. Rate the child’s overall social skills.
Describe any concerns related to social skills.
Q7. What is the child’s overall confidence in speaking?
Of the seven participants who were given the CCSA-T, only three returned completed questionnaires from the teachers.
Question
Responses
How often does the child experience bullying related to stuttering?
Teachers: 2 reported Never; 1 Rarely
Clients: All 3 reported at least Sometimes
How often do other children make fun of the child’s speech?
Teachers: 2 reported Never; 1 reported Rarely
How often does stuttering get in the way of the student’s academic
performance?
Teachers: All 3 reported Sometimes
Students: All 3 reported Never
Rate the child’s overall participation in the classroom.
Teachers: All 3 reported Low-Average
Rate the child’s overall social skills.
What is the child’s overall confidence in speaking?
Participant
CCSA-T
OASES Overall Severity 1
Mild-Moderate
Mod-Severe 2 3
Mild
Moderate
Discussion / Implications
The overall severity ratings on the CCSA-T did not corresponded to the overall severity ratings of the OASES. In general, teachers rated the severity levels lower for each of the clients.
Teachers appeared to underestimate the overall severity and level of bullying experienced by the child who stutters.
Interestingly, teachers appeared to be more tuned in to impact on academic performance and classroom participation.
Based on the results of this study, the CCSA-T may be an appropriate supplemental assessment tool to gain valuable knowledge of the client and to set appropriate treatment goals related to academic participation and social skills in the school setting. In addition, it may provide SLPs with an opportunity to educate teachers about the overall impact of stuttering.
Future research should focus on:
1. Continuing to compare the CCSA-T with the OASES over a larger sample.
2. Comparing data on the CCSA-T with data on CCSA-P and CCSA-SLP.
3. Continuing to identify which factors may be most commonly reported from the
teachers for children who stutter.
4. Gathering data from the CCSA-T to determine what aspects of education SLPs
may need to focus on during the treatment process, relative to teachers. For example, one question on the CCSA-T that was not analyzed for this study asked teachers to report on physical tension and secondary behaviors. Two of the three teachers noted that they did not know what signs of physical tension or secondary behaviors would look like for a child who stutters.
References
Emerging Themes
Teachers reported that children who stutter might participate less in class and exhibit less self-confidence in their speaking skills.
Teachers reported that the only type of bullying that existed for these children was verbal bullying, and that was infrequent.
Teachers’ perceptions that children talk less in class appeared to be specifically related to reluctance to giving oral presentations.
Moon, A., Stewart, K.,& Coleman, C. (2014). Community-Centered Stuttering Assessment-T.
Yaruss, J.S., Quesal, R., & Coleman, C. (2010). Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering. Pearson. Bloomington, MN.
Disclosures
Craig Coleman is a co-author of the OASES and receives royalties from Pearson. Amanda Moon, Katrina Stewart, and Craig Coleman are authors of the CCSA-SLP. They receive no financial payment for the CCSA-SLP.