Diversity of Research Participant Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in Communication Sciences and Disorders: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Synthesis of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Publications in 2020.

Purpose: One manifestation of systemic inequities in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) is the chronic underreporting and underrepresentation of sex, gender, race, and ethnicity in research. The present study characterized recent demographic reporting practices and representation of participants across CSD research. Methods: We systematically reviewed and extracted key reporting and participant data from empirical studies conducted in the United States (US) with human participants published in the year 2020 in journals by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA; k = 407 articles comprising a total n = 80,058 research participants, search completed November 2021). Sex, gender, race, and ethnicity were operationalized per National Institutes of Health guidelines (National Institutes of Health, 2015a, 2015b). Results: Sex or gender was reported in 85.5% of included studies; race was reported in 33.7%; and ethnicity was reported in 13.8%. Sex and gender were clearly differentiated in 3.4% of relevant studies. Where reported, median proportions for race and ethnicity were significantly different from the US population, with underrepresentation noted for all non-White racial groups and Hispanic participants. Moreover, 64.7% of studies that reported sex or gender and 67.2% of studies that reported race or ethnicity did not consider these respective variables in analyses or discussion. Conclusion: At present, research published in ASHA journals frequently fails to report key demographic data summarizing the characteristics of participants. Moreover, apparent gaps in representation of minoritized racial and ethnic groups threaten the external validity of CSD research and broader health care equity endeavors in the US. Although our study is limited to a single year and publisher, our results point to several steps for readers that may bring greater accountability, consistency, and diversity to the discipline.

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

BACKGROUND: Parents play a central role in the treatment of childhood stuttering. Addressing parental attitudes toward stuttering is helpful therapeutically. The extent to which differences in attitudes toward stuttering exist on the basis of sex, geographical region and parental status (e.g., parent of a stuttering child, parent of a nonstuttering child, nonparent) is unclear. Many studies investigating such factors have used the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) questionnaire. A large POSHA-S database has collected responses from over 20 000 people from 49 countries. AIMS: The aim of this study was to use the POSHA-S database to examine the extent to which the following variables influence attitudes toward stuttering: (a) parents' sex (mothers vs. fathers), (b) geographic region (Middle East vs. Europe and North America), (c) parents' children (stuttering vs. nonstuttering) and (d) parental status (parents versus nonparents). METHODS & PROCEDURES: Data used in this study were extracted from selected, relevant studies that administered the POSHA-S to respondents. The Overall Stuttering Scores were compared on the basis of sex and parent status (i.e., mothers and fathers; nonparent women and men) and were then compared within and across the two geographical areas. Group comparisons were performed using analysis of variance followed by independent t tests, and Cohen's d was calculated to determine effect sizes. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed upon the basis of geographical region. In general, male parents and nonparents tend to have more positive stuttering attitudes among the Middle Eastern samples while female parents and nonparents tend to show more positive attitudes in European and North American samples in the POSHA-S database. Effect sizes were small for all comparisons. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: The effect of geographic region and culture may predict sex-based differences among mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward stuttering; however, the clinical significance is unclear. Additional research is needed to better understand how children who stutter are affected by their parents' attitudes toward stuttering. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject The research clearly indicates that attitudes toward stuttering vary according to geographical region. Less clear is whether mothers and fathers from geographically diverse backgrounds hold different attitudes toward stuttering and the extent to which parental status (being a parent, parent of a child who stutters or nonparent) affects attitudes toward stuttering. What this study adds This study's findings confirm that geographical differences do influence attitudes toward stuttering. Male parents and nonparents tend to have equal or more positive attitudes toward stuttering in Middle Eastern samples, whereas non-Middle Eastern female parents and nonparents tend to show hold more positive attitudes. What are the clinical implications of this work? In addition to being culturally sensitive when working with parents of children who stutter, clinicians should also consider that mothers and fathers may have some differences in attitudes and behaviours toward their child's stuttering. These differences should be considered when designing treatment plans. It should also be noted that, despite statistical significance, the effect sizes in this study were low, suggesting that further research as well as close collaboration with parents of children who stutter is warranted.

Facebook groups for people who stutter: An extension of and supplement to in-person support groups.

INTRODUCTION: Online support group experiences, using social networking websites like Facebook, have shown much promise in past research unrelated to stuttering. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the utility of a Facebook-based stuttering support group that was created as an extension of and supplement to an in-person stuttering support group as a means of providing psychosocial support for people who stutter (PWS). METHOD: A qualitative approach that was inspired by ethnography was used to explore the experiences of seven participants (six participants who stutter and one participant who does not stutter) who digitally connect on a private Facebook-based stuttering support group that was created as an extension of and supplement to an already existing in-person stuttering support group. The main question posed to the participants related to describing their experiences being a member of the Facebook-based stuttering support group. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed two major themes, which included the benefits and challenges of participating in a Facebook-based stuttering support group.  Each major theme contained five subthemes. Specific results are discussed with reference to past research, as well as implications for practice and recommendations for future research. CONCLUSIONS: There are numerous benefits and challenges associated with being a member of a Facebook-based stuttering support group.  However, the overall utility of a Facebook-based stuttering support group, used in tandem with an in-person stuttering support experience, seems to provide members with a useful and impactful way to gain psychosocial support from other PWS.

Stuttering, Intersectionality, and Identity: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals Who Stutter.

PURPOSE: Speech-language pathologists are influential in shaping identity development for individuals who stutter, particularly as it relates to communication. This study investigated the experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals who stutter to learn more about how multiple marginalized identities affect their psychosocial experiences. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven individuals who stutter with lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities. Participants ranged in age from 22 to 60 years. Data were analyzed for themes and categories by using interpretive phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Four primary themes were identified: (a) the importance of visibility and shared social identity connections for affirmation; (b) effects of oppressive social expectations on identity; (c) intersectionality of stuttering, gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities; and (d) effects of not being affirmed for identity. DISCUSSION: Results are discussed in the context of identity affirmation and intersectionality. Through an understanding of identity formation and psychosocial experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals who stutter, speech-language pathologists can use identity-affirmative practices to support individuals who stutter and mitigate stigmatizing experiences. Implications focus on suggestions for the provision of identity-affirming speech-language pathology practices for students who stutter.

Recounting the K-12 school experiences of adults who stutter: a qualitative analysis.

UNLABELLED: This study qualitatively explored the primary and secondary (K-12) school experiences of adults who stutter. The primary investigator conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 participants, a first focus group interview with 6 participants, and a second focus group interview with 4 participants. Participants discussed the various ways in which stuttering affected their personality; emotional and psychological experiences in the context of school; academic and learning experiences; classroom participation; teacher and peer relationships; speech therapy experiences; school activity involvement; and post-educational experiences. Results suggest that school is a complex cultural environment in which students must engage on academic and social levels. People who stutter may experience observable and unobservable challenges as they navigate the complexity of school. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (1) provide a rationale for the need to explore the school experiences of people who stutter; (2) describe the major themes associated with the school experiences of participants in the study; and (3) discuss how knowledge of school experiences can be useful to classroom teachers and speech-language pathologists.

Perceptions of university instructors toward students who stutter: a quantitative and qualitative approach.

UNLABELLED: Many research studies have focused on perceptions of stuttering by various groups of people. However, there is limited research on the perceptions of university instructors toward stuttering and people who stutter. Therefore, this study explored the perceptions of university instructors toward stuttering and students who stutter, and their beliefs about classroom participation. Participants included 328 university instructors across a variety of disciplines at two Midwestern universities. Each participant completed a 12-item questionnaire regarding perceptions related to stuttering, students who stutter, and classroom participation. Of the 328 participants, 212 completed an open-ended question about their experiences and concerns of working with students who stutter. Results indicated that increased knowledge of stuttering is associated with positive attitudes toward students who stutter. Moreover, the participants in this study expressed a need for more information about stuttering and ways to accommodate students who stutter in the classroom. LEARNING OUTCOMES: After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (1) discuss the challenges that university instructors face when working with students with disabilities; (2) provide a rationale for the need to explore the perceptions of university instructors toward students who stutter; (3) describe the major themes of university instructors' knowledge of stuttering, and beliefs about classroom participation for students who stutter; and (4) discuss the need for disseminating more knowledge about stuttering to university instructors.

The effects of self-disclosure and non self-disclosure of stuttering on listeners' perceptions of a person who stutters.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to examine listener perceptions of an adult male person who stutters (PWS) who did or did not disclose his stuttering. Ninety adults who do not stutter individually viewed one of three videotaped monologues produced by a male speaker with severe stuttering. In one monologue, 30 listeners heard the speaker disclose stuttering at the beginning and in another monologue, 30 listeners heard the speaker disclose stuttering at the end. A third group of 30 listeners viewed a monologue where no disclosure of stuttering occurred. After listeners viewed a monologue, they were asked to rate a set of six Likert scale statements and answer three open-ended questions. The results showed that only one of six Likert statements was significantly different across the three conditions. The only statement that was different was that the speaker was perceived to be significantly more friendly when disclosing stuttering at the end of the monologue than when not disclosing stuttering. There were no significant differences between the percentage of positive and negative comments made by listeners across the three conditions. Listeners' comments to each open-ended question showed they were comfortable listening to stuttering with or without disclosure and slightly more than half of the listeners believed their perceptions of the speaker did not change when he disclosed stuttering. The results also showed that the speaker who disclosed stuttering at the beginning of the monologue received significantly more positive listener comments than when he disclosed stuttering at the end of the monologue. Results are discussed relative to comparisons with the study, the clinical relevance of acknowledging stuttering as a component of treatment, and future research on the self-disclosure of stuttering. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The reader will be able to: (1) describe how different groups of listeners perceive and respond to two conditions of self-disclosure of stuttering and one condition involving non self-disclosure of stuttering; (2) summarize the range of listener responses to and benefits of self-disclosure of stuttering; and (3) describe the value of self-disclosure of stuttering for the listener and the speaker.

A qualitative study of how African American men who stutter attribute meaning to identity and life choices.

UNLABELLED: To date, few studies have explored the life experience of people who stutter. In addition, few qualitative studies have been conducted with people who stutter of historically disadvantaged race-ethnic groups. This study was designed to explore how African American men who stutter view communication, identity and life choices. A qualitative approach was used that focused on the life experiences of African American men who stutter. Six men who identified themselves as both African American and people who stutter participated in this study. The primary investigator conducted an initial 60 to 90 minute semistructured, videotaped interview with each participant. Transcriptions were made of these sessions, and analyzed for major and minor themes. Each participant returned approximately a week later to review the data analysis. Results indicated that the interaction of communication, ethnicity, and culture affected how the participants perceived themselves, their stuttering, and their life choices. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The reader will be able to: (1) explain the importance of culture in the life experiences of people who stutter, (2) discuss how qualitative methodology can be clinically useful when working with people who stutter, and (3) describe the major themes associated with the six participants in this study.