Motoric and linguistic variables among children who stutter: a factor analysis

Seventy-six children who stuttered, aged 5-12, were administered tests of motor coordination, psycholinguistic abilities, and stuttering severity. A factor analysis of 19 selected variables yielded four statistically useful factors that implicate linguistic integration, oral motor ability, and auditory processing abilities as underlying components among the sample population. These components are assumed to affect a child's threshold for fluency and to permit stuttering development. Stuttering frequency or severity was not related to any of the four factors. The implications for diagnosing and treating children who stutter are discussed.