Do you have a child who stutters (7-11 years)?
If you are interested in participating in this study, you and your child will be asked to complete some questionnaires and a psychological assessment using a home computer with internet access. These questionnaires and the assessment will take between 60-90 minutes to complete (approximately 20-30 minutes for your child, and 40-60 minutes for you). You will have 4 weeks to complete the online questionnaires and assessments.
For more information, please contact Dr Lisa Iverach from the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University (lisa.iverach@mq.edu.au). All enquiries are confidential.
This study has been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee and is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
$20 Coles Myer Gift Card for Speech Pathologists
Dr Lisa Iverach
Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Information for Speech Pathologists
We are currently conducting a study investigating the “Social and Emotional Experiences of School-Age Children Who Stutter”. This study will assist us in better understanding the psychological impact of stuttering in childhood, and will contribute to the development of more effective treatments for children who stutter in the future.
Children/parents participating in this research will complete some questionnaires and an assessment using a home computer with internet access. Each parent/child pair will receive a $75 gift voucher upon completion of these questionnaires and the assessment.
It is a requirement of entry into this study that each child who stutters has their stuttering confirmed by a speech pathologist. This step is very quick and easy to complete. It typically involves the child and parent giving consent for the researchers to contact the child’s speech pathologist to request written confirmation of stuttering. This written confirmation can be sent via email to Dr Lisa Iverach from the Centre of Emotional Health at Macquarie University (only confirmation of stuttering is required; no assessment, report, severity ratings, or personal details are necessary).
In order to compensate speech pathologists for the time required to provide confirmation of stuttering, each speech pathologist will receive a $20 Coles Myer gift voucher each time they provide confirmation of stuttering for a child participating in our research. However, if confirmation of stuttering is not possible, we will conduct a speech assessment with the child and parent over the phone/internet.
If you have any further questions, or you would like some flyers sent to your clinic, please contact Dr Lisa Iverach from the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University (lisa.iverach@mq.edu.au).
This study has been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee and is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Information Sheet for Children Who Stutter
You are invited to participate in a study designed specifically for school-age children who stutter (7-11 years). The purpose of this study is to investigate the social and emotional experiences of children who stutter in comparison with children who do not stutter from the general community. The results of this study will help us to gain a clearer picture of the psychological functioning of school-age children, and will assist us in better understanding the impact of childhood stuttering. Findings will also contribute to the development of more effective treatments for children who stutter in the future.
This study is being conducted by Dr Lisa Iverach, Professor Ron Rapee, and Dr Heidi Lyneham from the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University (phone (02) 9850 8052, email lisa.iverach@mq.edu.au, ron.rapee@mq.edu.au, heidi.lyneham@mq.edu.au), in collaboration with Dr Elisabeth Harrison from the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University (phone (02) 9850 6716, email elisabeth.harrison@mq.edu.au); Dr Sally Hewat from the University of Newcastle (phone (02) 4921 5159, email Sally.Hewat@newcastle.edu.au); Professor Mark Onslow, Associate Professor Ann Packman, Associate Professor Ross Menzies, and Dr Susan O’Brian from the Australian Stuttering Research Centre at the University of Sydney (phone (02) 9351 9061, email asrc@sydney.edu.au); Dr Mark Jones from the School of Population Health, University of Queensland (phone (07) 3365 5116, email m.jones@sph.uq.edu); and Dr Marilyn Langevin from the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research at the University of Alberta, Canada (phone 0011 1 780 492 261, email istar@ualberta.ca). A third-year psychology student, Dorian Minors, will also be involved in this research in order to fulfil the requirements of the Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) Program in 2014. This study is supported by a research grant (#1052216) from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC).
It is a requirement of entry into this study that each child who stutters has their stuttering confirmed by a speech pathologist. If your child has seen a speech pathologist in the last 12 months, this step is very quick and easy to complete. With your consent, we are able to contact your child’s speech pathologist to request written confirmation of your child’s stuttering (no assessment, report, severity ratings, or personal details are required). However, if your child currently stutters, but has not seen a speech pathologist in the last 12 months, you have the option of sending us a 5-10 minute audio/video-recording of your child’s speech (e.g., using a personal phone or camera), which will be viewed by a trained speech pathologist in order to confirm the presence of your child’s stutter.
Once we have confirmed your child’s stutter, you will be provided with a personalised web link to complete some questionnaires and a psychological assessment using a home computer with internet access. In particular, your child will be asked to complete five questionnaires about themselves, which can be completed with your assistance if necessary. These questionnaires will ask your child to select the most appropriate response to each item by clicking on a button. You will also be asked to complete two questionnaires and an assessment about your child’s psychological functioning. These questionnaires and the assessment will take between 60-90 minutes to complete (approximately 20-30 minutes for your child, and 40-70 minutes for you). You will have four weeks to complete the online questionnaires and assessments. In order to compensate you and your child for the time required to complete these questionnaires and the assessment, you will be posted a $75 Coles Myer gift voucher upon completion of all online tasks. In addition, your child’s speech pathologist will receive a $20 Coles Myer gift voucher for confirming the details of your child’s stutter.
Some of the questions in the questionnaires and the assessment are personal. All participating children and parents are assured that collected information will be handled sensitively and with strict confidentiality. If you or your child experiences any distress as a result of completing these questionnaires or the assessment, we are able to refer you or your child to an appropriate service for further help and counselling. In addition, we will notify you if any responses to the questionnaires and assessment identify your child as experiencing any difficulties.
Your child’s participation in this study is entirely voluntary, and your child is not obliged to participate. If your child does participate, your child can withdraw at any time without having to give a reason, and without prejudice, penalty, or consequence. Your child’s decision to participate, not to participate, or to withdraw from the study, will not affect your child’s current or future relationship with Macquarie University, the staff or the researchers involved in the study, or your child’s speech pathologist. If your child does withdraw, we will keep and analyse your child’s data, unless you specifically request us not to do so.
All aspects of the study, including personal information and results, will be strictly confidential, and only the researchers and their assistants will have access to this confidential information. You and your child will be given a personalised web link to access the online questionnaires and assessment, and a unique identification code will be used to ensure confidentiality. That is, you will not be required to enter your name or your child’s name when completing the online tasks unless you choose to do so. The only limit to our confidentiality agreement is if any information is disclosed by you or your child that indicates illegal activity (e.g., child abuse), in which case we are required by law to disclose this information to relevant authorities.
All data will be kept on password-protected university computer files or stored in a locked cabinet in a locked university office, and will be accessible only to the researchers and their assistants. Results from this study may be published in scientific journals or presented at academic conferences, but individual participants will not be identifiable in any of these publications, reports, or presentations. A summary of the findings from this study will be emailed to participants upon request from the researchers. Your de-identified data may be stored indefinitely and may be used for future Ethics Committee approved research. With your consent, the researchers may contact you in the future regarding relevant Ethics Committee approved research and/or treatment opportunities for you and/or your child.
When you have read this information, you are welcome to contact the researchers to discuss the study further or to ask any questions that you or your child may have. Please discuss the study with your child before agreeing to participate. If you and your child consent to participate in the study, you are welcome to notify the researchers via phone, email or post. The researchers will then contact you directly to provide further information about the study, including details about logging in to the online survey. There is no need for you to complete/sign the attached Consent Form; you and your child will be asked to confirm your consent to participate once you have logged in to the online survey. However, if you would like to receive a signed copy of the Consent Form from the researchers, please let us know as we are more than happy to accommodate this request.
If you or your child would like to know more at any stage, you are welcome to contact any of the study investigators, including Dr Lisa Iverach, Professor Ron Rapee, and Heidi Lyneham from the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University (phone (02) 9850 8052, email lisa.iverach@mq.edu.au, ron.rapee@mq.edu.au, heidi.lyneham@mq.edu.au), in collaboration with Dr Elisabeth Harrison from the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University (phone (02) 9850 6716, email elisabeth.harrison@mq.edu.au); Dr Sally Hewat from the University of Newcastle (phone (02) 4921 5159, email Sally.Hewat@newcastle.edu.au); Professor Mark Onslow, Associate Professor Ann Packman, Associate Professor Ross Menzies, and Dr Susan O’Brian from the Australian Stuttering Research Centre at the University of Sydney (phone (02) 9351 9061, email asrc@sydney.edu.au); Dr Mark Jones from the School of Population Health, University of Queensland (phone (07) 3365 5116, email m.jones@sph.uq.edu); and Dr Marilyn Langevin from the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research at the University of Alberta, Canada (phone 0011 1 780 492 261, email istar@ualberta.ca).
The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee. If you have any complaints or reservations about any ethical aspect of your participation in this research, you may contact the Committee through the Director, Research Ethics (telephone (02) 9850 7854; email ethics@mq.edu.au). Any complaint you make will be treated in confidence and investigated, and you will be informed of the outcome.
How Stuttering Affects Children Socially and Where to Seek Help
http://happychild.com.au/articles/how-stuttering-affects-children-socially-and-where-to-seek-help?page=0,0
By Dr Lisa Iverach*
What is Stuttering?
Stuttering is a speech disorder characterised by interruptions to speech, such as repeating sounds or words, hesitating, or prolonging sounds. The disorder affects approximately five per cent of Australians, and usually develops in early childhood when children are first learning to create sentences. It is thought to be caused by problems with neural processing underlying speech production, and has a genetic basis. While some children recover naturally from stuttering, the disorder can persist for others.
Stuttering is a speech disorder characterised by interruptions to speech, such as repeating sounds or words, hesitating, or prolonging sounds. The disorder affects approximately five per cent of Australians, and usually develops in early childhood when children are first learning to create sentences. It is thought to be caused by problems with neural processing underlying speech production, and has a genetic basis. While some children recover naturally from stuttering, the disorder can persist for others.
Despite what some people think, the disorder is not caused by anxiety or psychological difficulties. Instead, stuttering has the potential to result in feelings of shyness, anxiety, and embarrassment when communicating with others.
Stuttering and Teasing
“When my stuttering child was seven he said after a day at school: ‘Some kids were teasing me about my bad speaking. They said I can't speak properly'.” This experience, reported by the mother of a boy who stutters, is not uncommon.
“When my stuttering child was seven he said after a day at school: ‘Some kids were teasing me about my bad speaking. They said I can't speak properly'.” This experience, reported by the mother of a boy who stutters, is not uncommon.
“It broke my heart to think that he was made so aware of his speech problems. I've always taught his older brothers not to tease him about his stuttering but, sadly, it is unavoidable in the heat of kid's fighting. It was bad enough having kids teasing him at school, but it was worse when he got home and his brothers teased him as well.”
Numerous studies have shown that more than fifty per cent of children who stutter report being teased or bullied on a regular basis, with some estimates much higher than that. Children who stutter are also more likely to be categorised as ‘bully victims’ than their non-stuttering class mates.
Stuttering and Anxiety
As a result of the negative social experiences associated with stuttering, children who stutter can develop social, or speech-related, anxiety. This not only includes excessive fear of speaking situations, but also avoidance of social engagement. Some children who stutter might not even be noticed in the classroom, with the child simply appearing shy and quiet. Others might learn to avoid difficult words or opportunities to speak, instead using gestures and short sentences to communicate. For these children, simple classroom tasks such as reading out loud, presenting news, or asking the teacher a question, can be the source of anxiety, fear, and embarrassment. Fear and avoidance of speaking situations can have significant implications for social, educational, and occupational functioning later in life.
As a result of the negative social experiences associated with stuttering, children who stutter can develop social, or speech-related, anxiety. This not only includes excessive fear of speaking situations, but also avoidance of social engagement. Some children who stutter might not even be noticed in the classroom, with the child simply appearing shy and quiet. Others might learn to avoid difficult words or opportunities to speak, instead using gestures and short sentences to communicate. For these children, simple classroom tasks such as reading out loud, presenting news, or asking the teacher a question, can be the source of anxiety, fear, and embarrassment. Fear and avoidance of speaking situations can have significant implications for social, educational, and occupational functioning later in life.
There is Hope – and Help!
Despite the negative social impact of stuttering, there are many indications that stuttering does not have to interfere with overall life functioning. Many Australians witnessed singer Harrison Craig’s inspirational story, as he overcame his stuttering and went on to win Australia’s most popular singing competition, The Voice, in 2013. There are many other cases of people who have achieved success in the presence of stuttering, including award-winning actress Emily Blunt, actress and singer Marilyn Monroe, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Despite the negative social impact of stuttering, there are many indications that stuttering does not have to interfere with overall life functioning. Many Australians witnessed singer Harrison Craig’s inspirational story, as he overcame his stuttering and went on to win Australia’s most popular singing competition, The Voice, in 2013. There are many other cases of people who have achieved success in the presence of stuttering, including award-winning actress Emily Blunt, actress and singer Marilyn Monroe, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
According to Mark Irwin, National President of the Australian Speak Easy Association, "Talking skill is just one aspect of life. Smiling, listening, walking, running, swimming, learning are just some of the many others. Finding things I liked doing, and enjoying doing them better and better every day, helped me feel confident despite my stutter."
For parents of children who stutter, there is help at hand. Encouraging a child who stutters to enjoy a wide range of talents and interests will help to build their self-esteem. If you are interested in treatment options for your child, you can contact the Speech and Hearing Clinic at Macquarie University, the Australian Stuttering Research Centre at theUniversity of Sydney, your GP, or your local Community Health Centre. The website forSpeech Pathology Australia also provides a listing of speech pathologists working privately around Australia. If your child is having speaking-related issues at school, have a chat with your child’s teacher or school principal to look at ways that your child’s learning and confidence can be enhanced in the classroom.
*Dr Lisa Iverach is a Member of the Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University. Dr Iverach and Professor Ron Rapee AM are investigating the social and emotional impact of childhood stuttering. This study is being conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Sydney, and the University of Newcastle. The research team are seeking children aged 7-11 years, both those who stutter and those who don’t, to participate in this research. Interested parents can contact Dr Iverach atlisa.iverach@mq.edu.au.
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