Social Skills and Connectedness in School-Age Children From Vulnerable Backgrounds Who Stutter

Exploring the psychosocial experiences of school-age children from vulnerable backgrounds who stutter allows for a better understanding of the compounding impacts of stuttering and challenging familial factors.

Data were drawn from Wave 5 of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). This study evaluated social adaptability among children from vulnerable backgrounds who do stutter (CVBWS) and children from vulnerable backgrounds who do not stutter (CVBWNS) using two scales: the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) and the Connectedness at School Scale (CSS). A comparison of means and regression analyses were used to compare the groups controlling for heterogeneity in diverse demographics. This study utilized survey-specific analytic tools in SAS 9.4 that account for the sampling framework, survey design, and reporting structure of the FFCWS.

Of the 3,345 caregivers (unweighted count), 106 reported that their child stuttered or stammered. CVBWS reported lower CSS (2.97, SD = 1.06) than the CVBWNS (3.08, SD = 0.97)-a statistically significant difference (t = 2.51, p = .013). CVBWS also exhibited poorer social skills as indicated by a lower average SSRS rating (48.15 points, SD = 10.99) compared to CVBWNS (54.11 points, SD = 12.96; t = -3.77, p < .001).

When working with CVBWS, it is important that baseline and posttreatment measures encompass more than just speech production outcomes. Current findings support this position, as some CVBWS experience more negative social interactions within their school than CVBWNS. Therefore, it is critical that additional attention be paid to the social and emotional development of CVBWS.