- Email: [email protected]
Anxiety and stuttering: On the road to discovery
166
ABSTRACTS
Anxiety and Stuttering: A. Craig,
On the Road to Discovery
Sydney, Australia
Oral Presentation: 30 min. The relationship between stuttering and anxiety has been researched and debated for a number of years, and still the area is surrounded by controversy, and most studies present findings that are equivocal. This uncertainty has mostly arisen because of the following problems: (a) Most studies have employed low subject numbers, increasing the chances of Type II errors. (b) The results have been confounded by mixing treated and untreated subjects. (c) Lack of suitable controls. (d) Lack of replication. (e) Lack of stratified random samples that truly reflect the population. From my own clinical experience I believed persons presenting for treatment were exhibiting higher anxiety levels than expected in nonstuttering persons. Effective treatment for stuttering also seemed to lower anxiety. Research completed by myself (Craig, 1990) confirmed my beliefs, though this research is not conclusive because it suffers from problems (d) and (e). Recent research (Miller and Watson, 1992) has presented evidence to the contrary, though it is not conclusive as it suffers from problems (a), (b), (d), and (e). It therefore remains an important debate and a critical area of future discovery. The anxiety levels of children who stutter also remain an important area needing research. The anxiety levels of children in the 9-14 year age group who participated in controlled treatments for stuttering (N=lOO) will be compared to nonstuttering controls of similar age-sex ratio. Results showed no significant differences in anxiety between the two groups. Furthermore, few differences were seen between other measures such as perceived control. These findings for adults and children will be discussed, and implications for theories and treatment will be presented.
Preventive
Counseling
with Parents at Risk
T. Crowe, University, Mississippi,
USA
Oral Presentation: 30 min. Primary and secondary prevention of stuttering might be achieved through early, direct counseling with preschool children and their parents. This presentation will include a brief review of various counseling theories, and therapy strategies specific to each theory, relative to stuttering prevention. Discussion of the use of counseling with persons at risk for the development of stuttering will focus on early intervention through ego-counseling. Multicultural variables in speech fluency behaviors, disfluency patterns, and attitudes toward speech fluency will be discussed relative to the development of individualized counseling strategies.
ABSTRACTS
Anxiety and Stuttering: A. Craig,
On the Road to Discovery
Sydney, Australia
Oral Presentation: 30 min. The relationship between stuttering and anxiety has been researched and debated for a number of years, and still the area is surrounded by controversy, and most studies present findings that are equivocal. This uncertainty has mostly arisen because of the following problems: (a) Most studies have employed low subject numbers, increasing the chances of Type II errors. (b) The results have been confounded by mixing treated and untreated subjects. (c) Lack of suitable controls. (d) Lack of replication. (e) Lack of stratified random samples that truly reflect the population. From my own clinical experience I believed persons presenting for treatment were exhibiting higher anxiety levels than expected in nonstuttering persons. Effective treatment for stuttering also seemed to lower anxiety. Research completed by myself (Craig, 1990) confirmed my beliefs, though this research is not conclusive because it suffers from problems (d) and (e). Recent research (Miller and Watson, 1992) has presented evidence to the contrary, though it is not conclusive as it suffers from problems (a), (b), (d), and (e). It therefore remains an important debate and a critical area of future discovery. The anxiety levels of children who stutter also remain an important area needing research. The anxiety levels of children in the 9-14 year age group who participated in controlled treatments for stuttering (N=lOO) will be compared to nonstuttering controls of similar age-sex ratio. Results showed no significant differences in anxiety between the two groups. Furthermore, few differences were seen between other measures such as perceived control. These findings for adults and children will be discussed, and implications for theories and treatment will be presented.
Preventive
Counseling
with Parents at Risk
T. Crowe, University, Mississippi,
USA
Oral Presentation: 30 min. Primary and secondary prevention of stuttering might be achieved through early, direct counseling with preschool children and their parents. This presentation will include a brief review of various counseling theories, and therapy strategies specific to each theory, relative to stuttering prevention. Discussion of the use of counseling with persons at risk for the development of stuttering will focus on early intervention through ego-counseling. Multicultural variables in speech fluency behaviors, disfluency patterns, and attitudes toward speech fluency will be discussed relative to the development of individualized counseling strategies.