Relationship between stuttering severity in children and their mothers speaking rate.
OBJECTIVE
Stuttering is a complex disease that influences occupational, social, academic and emotional achievements. The aim of this study was to correlate the stuttering severity index with speaking rates of mothers and children.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study, at the child rehabilitation clinics of Tehran city.


METHODS
35 pairs of mothers and their children who stuttered were studied. There were 29 boys and six girls, of mean age 8.5 years (range: 5.1-12.0). Speech samples from the mother-child pairs were audiotaped for approximately 15 minutes, until a reciprocal verbal interaction had been obtained. This sample was then analyzed in accordance with a stuttering severity index test and speaking rate parameters.


RESULTS
The research results outlined a significant relationship between the mothers speaking rate and their childrens stuttering severity.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the mothers speaking rate should be incorporated in the assessment and treatment of stuttering.
Dehqan
Ali
A
Department of Speech Therapy, School of Paramedicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. dehqan@zdmu.ac.ir
Bakhtiar
Mehdi
M
Panahi
Sadegh Seif
SS
Ashayeri
Hassan
H
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013342:Stuttering / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*