Stuttering treatment goals beyond fluency: A non-Western perspective

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Cross-cultural psychology
• Communication disorders

Background:

• Treatment goals for stuttering are shifting towards acceptance and confident communication.
• Western SLPs often prioritize acceptance over strict fluency.
• Cultural factors in non-Western societies may influence stuttering treatment perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate South Korean SLPs' perspectives on stuttering treatment approaches.
• To examine beliefs about stuttering among South Korean SLPs.
• To explore how these beliefs influence treatment preferences.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 59 SLPs in South Korea.
• The survey used Qualtrics for online data collection.
• Participants shared views on stuttering and treatment approaches.

Main Results:

• Over half of surveyed SLPs (54.1%) were open to beyond-fluency approaches.
• No SLPs advocated for excluding fluency goals entirely.
• Stuttering acceptance was viewed instrumentally, tied to fluency outcomes or as a fallback.
• Beliefs about stuttering influenced approach choices: disorder vs. societal prejudice.

Conclusions:

• South Korean SLPs may not view stuttering acceptance as intrinsically valuable.
• Adaptations are needed to integrate beyond-fluency approaches into the Korean cultural context.
• Enhancing acceptance among SLPs, children, and families is crucial.