Concerns of speech-impaired people and those communicating with them

This study investigated the perception and experiences of people with speech impairments and of the general public when communicating with speech impaired people. The aim was to identify the actual concerns of people and factors that make communication easier or more difficult, to inform treatment programmes and information. A triangulated approach was used. Discussion groups were held with members of the public, in-depth interviews were conducted with speech-impaired people and an experimental study examined encounters between speech-impaired people and shop workers. In a partial replication of the work of Crow (1988) the views of speech-impaired people were elicited by a questionnaire. Concerns identified in group discussions related to the importance of time and the need for information. The experiment suggested that the type of speech impairment might influence attitudes. Findings from the questionnaire and the interviews emphasized the importance of taking time and being assertive. The limitations of the findings and the possible service implications are discussed.