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Beliefs and attitudes of teachers in Mumbai, India, towards children who stutter were investigated using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires were completed by 58 teachers, four of whom were subsequently interviewed. Results from the questionnaires showed that teachers believed that a child's environment influenced stuttering and that children who stuttered had the potential to overcome the condition. They did not agree that children who stuttered were quiet and shy. Two global themes emerged from the interviews. These were teachers' philosophies about stuttering, and their perceived roles in supporting children who stutter. All teachers reported limited experience of children who stutter, but their responses indicated a desire to do their best to support such children in the classroom. Stuttering was, however, considered to be less important to teachers' working lives than dyslexia. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

Introduction: Psychosocial aspects of stuttering may affect the quality of life of a person who stutters (PWS). Further, the social stigma and experiences of PWS may vary globally. The WHO-ICF guidelines recommend quality of life as an essential component in the assessment of individuals who stutter. However, the availability of linguistically and culturally appropriate tools is often a challenge. Thus, the current study adapted and validated the OASES-A for Kannada-speaking adults who stutter. Method: The original English version of OASES-A was adapted to Kannada using a standard reverse translation process. The adapted version was administered on 51 Kannada-speaking adults with very mild to very severe stuttering. The data were analyzed for item characteristics, reliability, and validity assessment. Results: The results revealed floor and ceiling effects for six and two items, respectively. The mean overall impact score indicated a moderate impact of stuttering. Further, the impact score for section II was relatively higher when compared to the data from other countries. The reliability and validity analyses showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability for OASES-A-K. Conclusion: The findings of the current research suggest that OASES-A-K is a sensitive and reliable tool to assess the impact of stuttering in Kannada-speaking PWS. The findings also highlight cross-cultural differences and the need for research in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to understand the problems and life effects experienced by adults who stutter (AWS) using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework. Method: The study sample included 614 adults with developmental stuttering aged between 18 to 69 years, living in India responded to two open ended questions, regarding the problems and life effects due to stuttering. The participant's responses were analyzed using a simplified content analysis. Those responses were exempt from the analysis if the question was left blank or typed with no problems or irrelevant answers. The reported problems and life effects were coded into meaning units. Further, the retrieved meaning units were linked to the respective ICF code. Results: The study indicates that AWS perceived more problems compared to its effects in their daily life. A significantly higher responses reported to activity limitation participation restrictions to both problem and life effect questions. It is, therefore, clear that stuttering limits conversation, relationships, socialization, seeking employment, maintaining employment, and relationships. Moreover, the study found a significant relationship of number of problems and duration of stuttering with number of life effects identified. Conclusion: The current study highlights using a biopsychosocial framework, such as the ICF, to provide a more comprehensive and holistic approach to identifying the problems and life effects of stuttering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stuttering occurs when the simultaneous and sequential programming of muscle movements required to produce a continuous flow of speech is disrupted. The generalized phoneme monitoring task, in which subjects detect target phonemes appearing anywhere in the test words, was shown to be sensitive to associative context effects. The aim is to investigate the phoneme monitoring abilities in L2 (English) among bilingual adolescents and young adults who stutter. This was a comparative study. Methods: Twenty-two bilinguals (11 persons with stuttering [PWS] and 11 persons with no stuttering [PWNS]) were considered within the age range of 10-16 years (adolescents) and 17-24 years (young adults). An adaptation of the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q) to the Indian context was done on all the participants. The phoneme of English with the highest occurrence was considered. A list of picturable bisyllabic words was made using these target phonemes in initial and medial positions. The audio of targeted phonemes was prerecorded using PRAAT software. In phase 1, PsychoPy software was used to present the targeted phoneme along with the familiarized picture and record the responses of the participants. Keys of the keyboard were assigned to yes/no. In phase 2, the same picture was presented, and the response rate and accuracy in naming the pictures shown were calculated. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were done. Results: The results of the present study showed that bilingual PWNS took more time to identify the presence or absence of the target consonant when compared to bilingual PWS. Bilingual PWNS ha d a higher number of correct responses than bilingual PWS. With respect to the position of the target phoneme, incorrect responses were similar when the target phoneme was in the medial or initial position. Conclusion: The current study advances the theoretical understanding of the causes of stuttering, particularly by supporting the psycholinguistic causes of stuttering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: The COVID-19 disease profile in Indian patients has been found to be different from the Western world. Changes in lymphocyte compartment have been correlated with disease course, illness severity and clinical outcome. This study was aimed to assess the peripheral lymphocyte phenotype and subset distribution in patients with COVID-19 disease from India with differential clinical manifestations. Methods: Percentages of peripheral lymphocyte subsets were measured by flow cytometry in hospitalized asymptomatic (n=53), mild symptomatic (n=36), moderate and severe (n=30) patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, recovered individuals (n=40) and uninfected controls (n=56) from Pune, Maharashtra, India. Results: Percentages of CD4+Th cells were significantly high in asymptomatic, mild symptomatic, moderate and severe patients and recovered individuals compared to controls. Percentages of Th memory (CD3+CD4+CD45RO+), Tc memory (CD3+CD8+CD45RO+) and B memory (CD19+CD27+) cells were significantly higher in the recovered group compared to both asymptomatic, mild symptomatic patient and uninfected control groups. NK cell (CD56+CD3-) percentages were comparable among moderate +severe patient and uninfected control groups. Interpretation & conclusions: The observed lower CD4+Th cells in moderate+severe group requiring oxygen support compared to asymptomatic+mild symptomatic group not requiring oxygen support could be indicative of poor prognosis. Higher Th memory, Tc memory and B memory cells in the recovered group compared to mild symptomatic patient groups might be markers of recovery from mild infection; however, it remains to be established if the persistence of any of these cells could be considered as a correlate of protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Existing data stemming from investigations with the Speech Situation Checklist (SSC) have shown this standardised test to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing speech-related anxiety in children who stutter (CWS). The main purpose of this study was to compare Speech Situation Checklist-Emotional Reaction (SSC-ER) scores for Kannada-speaking children who do not stutter (CWNS) and CWS. In addition, the Speech Situation Checklist—Emotional Reaction in Kannada (SSC-ER-K) scores among different stuttering severity and age groups were compared in CWS. Method: The English version of the SSC-ER was forward-translated into Kannada and back-translated by the first author. SSC-ER-K was administered on 100 CWS and 275 CWNS aged between 7 and 14 years who were native speakers of the Kannada language. The severity of stuttering was estimated using the Stuttering Severity Instrument—fourth edition (SSI-4). Result: The results revealed that the SSC-ER-K scores of CWS were significantly higher in comparison with CWNS. CWS with moderate and severe degrees of stuttering had significantly higher scores when compared to those with a mild degree of stuttering. Furthermore, the older CWS (11–14 years) had significantly higher scores compared to the younger CWS (7–10 years). In addition, the SSC-ER-K appears to be a reliable self-report test. The above findings suggest the presence of significantly increased speech-related anxiety in CWS. Also, as age and severity of stuttering increased so did the level of their speech-related anxiety. Conclusion: The SSC-ER-K is a useful tool in the assessment of negative emotional reaction to specific speech situations in Kannada CWS and can assist speech-language pathologists in addressing speech-situation specific anxiety during treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech-language therapists along with affected individuals face various challenges for accomplishing the rehabilitation services. In the current COVID19 pandemic scenario, telerehabilitation has emerged as a substitute to the traditional face-to-face therapy, and is the only option possible in some cases. To subjectively assess the feasibility & acceptability of telerehabilitation provided by speech-language pathologist to patients of speech and language disorders. This qualitative study includes 20 patients suffering from disorders of fluency, voice, swallowing and neurogenic disorders. The participants included were undergoing face-to-face therapy at our institute. After the completion of face-to-face session series, telerehabilitation services were provided through a video calling app. The outcomes of teletherapy were assessed subjectively using a structured questionnaire on 11 parameters using a Likert scale. Of the included 20 patients, after completion of teletherapy, four patients chose the physical interaction as the preferred mode of therapy while 16 chose teletherapy as the preferred mode. Except three clients who rated their overall satisfaction as '3', others rated as '4' or '5'.The therapists were satisfied with the outcomes in 17 cases, and were pleased with the overall progress of all the clients (rated 4 or 5). Telerehabilitation is a reliable method to deliver speech and language services at community level, on long-term basis, as is proven by the high satisfaction scores among the clients as well as the service providers. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial has been registered in Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) vide number CTRI/2018/04/ 012,922 (http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/login.php) on 02/04/2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A large body of evidence suggests that the Communication Attitude Test (CAT) is a reliable and valid tool for assessing the speech-associated attitude of school-age children who stutter (CWS). Objective: The purpose of the present study was to adapt and validate the CAT for the Kannada-speaking school-age CWS. Methods: The original version of the CAT was forward- and back-translated by the first author. The Communication Attitude Test Kannada (CAT-K) was then administered to 293 children who do not stutter (CWNS) and 100 CWS. All children were native speakers of the Kannada language and were between the ages of 7 and 14 years. The Stuttering Severity Instrument-fourth edition (SSI-4) was used to estimate the severity of stuttering. Results: The data revealed that, in comparison to CWNS, the CWS' mean CAT-K score was significantly higher, and a significant effect of stuttering severity and age on mean attitude scores was observed. In addition, results showed that the CAT-K is a reliable and valid test. Conclusion: The findings suggest the presence of a negative attitude in Kannada-speaking CWS and that the CAT-K is a useful tool in the assessment of Kannada school-age CWS. Given the need for speech-language pathologists to address a speech-associated negative attitude in CWS, incorporating the CAT-K as part of the diagnostic assessment of stuttering is valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited research concerning the nature of stuttering in balanced bilinguals. Hence, the aim of this study was to compare aspects of stuttering between two languages in balanced bilinguals who stutter (BWS). Eighteen adult Kannada-English BWS participated in the study, with Kannada as the first language (L1) and English as the second language (L2). As indicated by online language proficiency test results, all the participants were highly proficient balanced bilinguals. Audiovideo recordings were done in both the languages across three tasks (reading, spontaneous speech, and telephonic conversation) and two situations (within the clinic and beyond clinic). They were analyzed for percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) and perceptual severity rating scores (SEV). Results suggest significantly higher %SS in English compared to Kannada for both spontaneous speech (SS) and telephonic conversation (TC) tasks. SEV scores indicated significantly higher scores for English compared to Kannada for TC task. A significant positive correlation was also found across the %SS-SEV pair. Results highlight variability in the nature of stuttering in balanced BWS. Apart from the other factors, differences in the linguistic structure may be one of the reasons for differences in stuttering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article presents a collaborative initiative of members of the Committee of the International Representatives of the International Cluttering Association (ICA) upon celebrating the 10th anniversary of the ICA. Such collaborative efforts are designed to improve communication skills, enlighten lives of people with cluttering, and serve as models for speech therapists and other health care professionals in countries around the globe. Method: This initiative began with a seminar at the Inaugural Joint World Congress in Japan in 2018 and continues with an article on cluttering based on the contents of the papers presented at the Congress. Sixteen researchers and speech therapists from 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe (East and West), America (North and South), and the Middle East have explored the following themes related to cluttering: cluttering awareness, research, professional preparation, intervention, and self-help groups. Results: This article adds to the body of international literature on cluttering and illustrates that, for the past 10 years, hypothesis-testing research in cluttering continues to be conducted across language barriers and national boundaries, and interventions that are implemented in some locales are being tested and taught in other parts of the world; furthermore, new cluttering treatments are being disseminated for professional preparation and clinical practices. Conclusions: This article demonstrates how global engagement of the ICA's international representatives has led to the exchange of ideas about awareness of cluttering and professional preparation and the best strategies for the treatment of this communication disorder in countries around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study explores the views and expectations of Kannada-speaking adults who stutter from speech therapy. • Unlike quantitative analysis, the qualitative content analysis identified the self-perceived expectations from the first-hand participant information. • The study helps readers understand the anticipatory beliefs in Kannada-speaking adults who stutter. • Data provides insight into client's expectations to select appropriate goals, activities, and interpretation of prognosis. The current study was carried out to explore clients' expectations from stuttering therapy using the qualitative content method in the Indian context. Twenty-one Kannada-speaking adults who stutter between the age range of 18–33 years participated in the study. The procedure involved three phases, including the formulation of semi-structured interview questions, data collection and analysis. Inductive content analysis was used to determine the categories and sub-categories arising from the participants verbatim. The frequency count of emerging sub-categories was completed, and the data was interpreted. The overall analysis of the data obtained from 21 participants generated three categories under the theme of expectations from speech therapy. The categories generated included beliefs and understanding of stuttering, stuttering and related behaviours, and goals and outcome of therapy. Selecting personalised goals and techniques during therapy is necessary to improve client satisfaction. This study helps clinicians to understand the anticipatory beliefs of Kannada-speaking adults who stutter and educate them about achievable and realistic goals, leading to shared decision-making to ensure better quality of life and satisfaction in everyday speaking situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Speech rate and rhythm were compared between Solo reading and choral reading conditions. • Kannada-speaking AWS had significantly slower rate in choral reading when compared to solo reading condition. • Significant differences in speech rhythm were noticed during choral reading when compared to solo reading. • To document speech rhythm, the use of envelope modulation spectral analyses (EMS) is recommended. Abstract Purpose A longstanding finding in persons who stutter is that stuttering frequency significantly reduces during choral reading when compared to the solo reading condition. Here, we tested the hypothesis that this decrease in stuttering frequency may be because speech of the normal speaker dictates the speech rhythm of a person who stutters. We used an automated, sensitive acoustic technique—Envelope Modulation Spectral (EMS) analysis— that allowed us to document speech rhythm. Method Seventeen adults who stutter (AWS) read sentences under two conditions: solo reading and choral reading. Percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS), the rate of speech, and speech rhythm were calculated from the recorded sentences from AWS. Further, AWS speech rhythm during solo reading was compared with typical adults. EMS was extracted for the full signal and seven-octave bands. From the extracted envelope six predictor variables (peak frequency, peak amplitude, energy in the spectrum 3–6 Hz, energy in the spectrum from 0 to 4 Hz, energy in the spectrum from 4 to 10 Hz, and the ratio of energy below4 Hz/above 4 Hz) were computed. Results Significant decrease in stuttering frequency and rate of speech was noticed in choral reading when compared to the solo reading condition. Further, analysis of EMS results suggested the statistically significant difference between two reading conditions (for peak frequency and peak amplitude), and between two groups for all predictor variables. Conclusion Overall, current results highlight that decreases in stuttering during the choral reading is characterized by a decrease in rate and changes in some aspects of speech rhythm in Kannada speaking AWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Among the 74,544 school children screened from Tamil Nadu, India, the prevalence of stuttering was found to be 0.46%. • Severity was strongly associated with males and moderately with older age at onset. • Family history and consanguinity of probands were not associated with the severity of stuttering. • Familial aggregation and sibling recurrence risk was high among consanguineous families indicating the genetic basis. Abstract Purpose Stuttering is a fluency disorder with a worldwide prevalence of 1%. Reports on the epidemiology of stuttering in India are limited. Our primary goal was to examine the prevalence of the disorder among school children. The study also aimed to examine risk factors associated with severity and the impact of parental consanguinity in stuttering. Method Children from 97 schools in the State of Tamil Nadu, India were screened. Extensive speech characterization, epidemiological details and three-generational pedigrees were collected for 180 probands. The genetic basis of stuttering was examined using the analysis of genealogical index of families (GIF), kinship group and sibling recurrence risk (SRR) measures. Regression analysis and chi-square tests were performed to test the association of risk factors with severity of the disorder. Results Among the 74,544 school children screened, the prevalence of stuttering was found to be 0.46%. Pedigree analysis revealed a positive family history in 101 (56%) probands; overall familial incidence was 11%. We observed an overall male-favored sex ratio (4:1). Familial aggregation (GIF = 442.60, p-value <0.001) and sibling recurrence risk ratio (K s = 0.197, SD = 0.041) was high among consanguineous families. Severity of stuttering was strongly associated with gender and moderately associated with age at onset. Conclusion The prevalence of stuttering in Tamil Nadu is estimated for the first time in this study. High familial incidence, familial aggregation and sibling recurrence risk ratio point to the presence of a genetic basis. Familial aggregation was high among consanguineous families although consanguinity did not seem to play a role in severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the speech disruptions under the influence of Delayed Auditory Feedback in typical Kannada (L1)-English (L2) bilingual adults as a factor of language familiarity and L2 language proficiency. Nineteen typical Kannada (L1) - English (L2) bilingual adults in the age range of 18-30 years (M =2, F = 17) participated in the study. Speech disruptions under DAF was analysed for the tasks of reading passage and answering the questions across L1 and L2 of the bilinguals. Speech errors under DAF were analysed and categorized into three major subtypes which included articulatory, repetition and other errors. Results revealed greater speech disruptions for L1 which was the most familiar language of the participants. The predominance of a speech error subtype was contingent on the stimuli task of the study. Language proficiency in L2 influenced the articulatory errors of L1 wherein Low Proficient (LP) group showed higher frequency of speech disruptions compared to the High Proficient (HP) category. Additionally, low proficient speakers showed insignificant differences between the speech error subtypes across the languages for the task of reading passage. Results are discussed in the light of semantic satiation and allocation of attentional resources for monitoring the ongoing speech under the influence of DAF along with a possible implication of the findings to the selected clinical population with speech disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A longstanding hypothesis about the underlying mechanisms of stuttering suggests that speech disfluencies may be associated with problems in timing and temporal patterning of speech events. Method: Fifteen adults who do and do not stutter read five sentences, and from these, the vocalic and consonantal durations were measured. Using these, pairwise variability index (raw PVI for consonantal intervals and normalised PVI for vocalic intervals) and interval based rhythm metrics (PercV, DeltaC, DeltaV, VarcoC and VarcoV) were calculated for all the participants. Result: Findings suggested higher mean values in adults who stutter when compared to adults who do not stutter for all the rhythm metrics except for VarcoV. Further, statistically significant difference between the two groups was found for all the rhythm metrics except for VarcoV. Conclusion: Combining the present results with consistent prior findings based on rhythm deficits in children and adults who stutter, there appears to be strong empirical support for the hypothesis that individuals who stutter may have deficits in generation of rhythmic speech patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study investigated the effect of certain unique morphophonemic features of Kannada words on the rate of stutters in a group of 22 adolescent and adult persons who stuttered in an oral reading task. A linear regression analysis showed that word length ranging from 1 to 8 syllables was a potent variable in the occurrence of stutters accounting for 25.3% of stutters. A composite index of morphophonemic complexity with points assigned for sandhi, geminates, consonant clusters, and number of morphemes accounted for a small 7.5% variability in observed stutter rates. Sandhi words and the hybrid content-function words were no more effective than other words in determining stutter rates. Results are discussed in relation to past findings for other languages and current neurolinguistic models of speech production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When persons who stutter (PWS) read a text repeatedly, there is a progressive reduction in stutter frequency over the course of three to five readings. Recently, this phenomenon has been attributed by some researchers to motor learning-the acquisition of relatively permanent motor skills that facilitate fluency through practice in producing words. The current study tested this explanation. 23 PWS read prose passages five times in succession. The number of 'new' and 'old' stutters during repeated readings (words stuttered in the current reading but spoken fluently in the previous reading and words stuttered also in the previous reading) were analyzed. If motor learning facilitated fluency during repeated readings in PWS, words read fluently in a reading should not be stuttered in a later reading in significant numbers. Contrary to this prediction, there was no statistical difference in the number of new words stuttered across five readings. A plausible alternative explanation, which requires further study to verify, is offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When persons who stutter (PWS) read a text repeatedly, there is a progressive reduction in stutter frequency over the course of three to five readings. Recently, this phenomenon has been attributed by some researchers to motor learning-the acquisition of relatively permanent motor skills that facilitate fluency through practice in producing words. The current study tested this explanation. 23 PWS read prose passages five times in succession. The number of 'new' and 'old' stutters during repeated readings (words stuttered in the current reading but spoken fluently in the previous reading and words stuttered also in the previous reading) were analyzed. If motor learning facilitated fluency during repeated readings in PWS, words read fluently in a reading should not be stuttered in a later reading in significant numbers. Contrary to this prediction, there was no statistical difference in the number of new words stuttered across five readings. A plausible alternative explanation, which requires further study to verify, is offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As stuttering exists worldwide, among different culture/people, it is essential in identifying attitudes, concern, nature of problem in different cultural groups. The main objectives of the study are to identify effectiveness of sensitization program on stuttering immediately after program and also to determine the gender difference in attitude towards stuttering. A questionnaire was modified and adapted, and administered prior and after the sensitization program. The seven domains included in the questionnaire were myths/facts, attitude, causes, treatment, awareness, characteristics and occurrence of stuttering. Results indicated improved scores on few domains such as attitude, characteristics and treatment. Remaining domains such as myths/facts causes and occurrence of stuttering showed no significant difference prior and after the sensitization program on stuttering. Male participant's perception on stuttering was better compared to female participants on all domains except characteristics domain. Improved scores on few domains after awareness program suggested that awareness about stuttering was better after the sensitization program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender difference in stuttering is a much talked debated issue. A lot of studies have been done on this, mostly in the western countries. Stuttering is not only reported to be less common in females compared to males, with a 1:4 ratio, but its onset, development and recovery characteristics are more in favour of females. The present study is aimed to explore the similarities and differences in nature of disfluencies, if any, in male and female persons with stuttering, across the age groups in the Indian context. A retrospective analysis of 132 case files of all clients registered with the complaint of stuttering over a period of 6 months was made. The data was analyzed in terms of age of onset, nature and type of onset, associated problems and etiology of stuttering, across the gender and age groups. Across gender, significant differences have been obtained in most of the parameters under study and across the age and within gender too significant findings have been observed. The study confirms many of the earlier findings by other authors with regard to gender differences in stuttering. Female PWS are different in the onset, nature, development, severity characteristics of stuttering compared to male PWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is an attempt to explore the awareness and attitude of prospective teachers towards stuttering in Mysore city, conducted as a part of International Stuttering Awareness Day. As stuttering exists worldwide, among different cultures it is essential to pay considerable attention in identifying and comparing attitudes, knowledge and beliefs of different cultural groups. Attitudes of 64 educators toward stuttering were studied using the questionnaire developed with few statements adapted from POSHA (consisting of eight domains such as nature, concern, attitude, causes, treatment, awareness, characteristics and occurrence of stuttering). Results indicated that their awareness on stuttering is less on some domains but also reflected positive attitude on some domains. Some of the results of this study are similar to those of other comparable studies conducted in other countries and cultures including Belgium, Brazil, Shanghai and China suggesting that most of the community has poor knowledge on stuttering. Public ignorance may be one of the factors of the mental and emotional complexities of stuttering (Blood, 1999). The results of the present study indicate that there is a need for SLPs to provide teachers with more information about stuttering. Hence, this study also helps SLP to understand the environment of PWS which play a significant role in the onset and maintenance of stuttering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aims to study the phonological working memory in CWS. • Reduced accuracy while repeating nonwords in CWS when compared to CWNS. • When compared to CWNS, CWS required greater number of trials to repeat nonwords. • When compared to CWNS, CWS were less accurate on initial attempt in repeating nonwords. • CWS had increased difficulty in silent identification of nonwords. The present study employed nonword repetition and nonword identification tasks to explore the phonological working memory (PWM) abilities and its interaction with speech motor control in school-aged children who do and do not stutter. Participants were 17 children who stutter (CWS) (Age range = 7–12) and 17 age and gender-matched children who do not stutter (CWNS). For the nonword repetition task, the participants repeated sets of 2-, 3-, and 4-syllable nonwords (n = 12 per set). The participants silently identified a target nonword from a subsequent set of three nonwords (n = 12 per 2-, 3- and 4-syllable length) for the nonword identification task. The performance of CWS on the nonword repetition task was compared with the CWNS for the mean number of accurate repetitions, number of trials taken, number of accurate repetitions on initial trial, and number of fluent repetitions across the three-syllable conditions for the tasks. For the nonword identification task, the number of nonwords identified accurately by the two groups were subjected to analysis. CWS were significantly less accurate on the initial production of nonwords and required significantly more number of attempts to repeat the nonword accurately. Further for the nonword identification task, CWS were significantly less accurate than CWNS in correctly identifying the target nonword. The present findings suggest that, in addition to limitations in PWM capacity, an unstable speech motor control system in CWS may lead to dysfluent speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Empirical investigations have revealed a strong association between linguistic factors and stuttering, specifically phonological and morphological factors. However, the effect of these factors is suggested to vary across languages owing to the differences in their linguistic structure. Further, the trend is found to vary between AWS and CWS. Literature in this regard is scarce in the Kannada language, particularly in children. Hence, the study was driven by the need to understand the effect of phonological and morphological factors on stuttering in Kannada speaking CWS., Method: Spontaneous speech samples were obtained from twenty Kannada speaking preschool CWS with a confirmed diagnosis of stuttering by an experienced speech-language pathologist. The recorded samples were transcribed, and disfluencies were marked. Further, the stuttered words were analysed for phonological and morphological features. The phonological factors included were phoneme position in a word, phoneme type and word length. Morphological factors consisted of word class and word end inflectional morphology. The percentage of stuttering was calculated with respect to each of the factors mentioned above., Results: Phoneme in the initial position of a word and words beginning with consonants had a higher rate of stuttering. Word length, word class and word end inflections were found to have no significant effect on the rate of stuttering in CWS., Conclusion: Overall, current findings revealed that stuttering might manifest differently across languages varying in their linguistic structures., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The article investigates the use of risperidone in the treatment of persistent developmental stuttering by researchers from Bangalore, India. In this study, the researchers present a case of developmental stuttering resistant to speech therapy that remitted with resperidone. Indications showed an improvement of stuttering that is attributable to the blockade of the hyperdopaminergic state by resperidone.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of sentence length and clause position on stuttering in the complex sentences of two languages--English and Kannada. Ten monolingual adult stutterers read 20 sets of sentences while 10 bilingual adult stutterers read 40 sets of sentences (20 sets in each of the two languages). Each set consisted of a short sentence and two long sentences. Results indicated that (a) a clause placed at the beginning of a sentence was stuttered more often than the same clause placed at the end of the sentence and more than the same clause as an isolated sentence; (b) a clause placed at the beginning of a sentence was stuttered more often than the same clause placed at the end of a sentence, irrespective of sentence length; and (c) stuttering occurred more often on the first clause of a sentence than on the second in proportion to the difference in word length between the two clauses. These results suggest that the occurrence of stuttering might be related to the demands that speech makes on motor planning, particularly at the beginning of sentences, and might have significance for the speech breakdown views on stuttering.