title: Classroom intervention to change peers' attitudes towards children who stutter: A feasibility study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Before interventions are implemented, the potential treatment benefit must be determined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective of this feasibility study was to assess if peers' attitudes towards children who stutter (CWS) change one month after the administration of the Classroom Communication Resource (CCR). The secondary objectives of the study were to determine if differences in peer attitudes were related to gender and to previous exposure to a person who stutters.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a cluster randomised control trial design. The study included 211 Grade 7 participants from schools in the Cape Town Metropole. The CCR intervention was administered to 97 participants in the experimental group, whilst 114 participants in the control group did not receive the intervention. The Stuttering Resource Outcome Measure(SROM) used as the outcome measure during pre- and post-test period. STATISTICA was used for in-depth data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overall positive direction of change in scores was observed for the experimental group compared with the control group. However, the magnitude of change in the experimental group was not statistically significant (p = 0.2683). Male and female participants did not differ significantly in their scores on the SROM across pre-test and post-test periods. Participants who had exposure to individuals who stutter had significantly more positive scores on the SROM in the pre-test and post-test periods compared to those who had no direct exposure to stuttering.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This result indicated the beginning of positive attitude change which may be attributed to the intervention. Further investigation is warranted.
authors: Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cape Town. harsha.kathard@uct.ac.za.
authors: Harsha
authors: H
authors: Kathard
authors: Freda
authors: F
authors: Walters
authors: Kareemah
authors: K
authors: Frieslaar
authors: Thembeka
authors: T
authors: Mhlongo
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Rhoode
authors: Raeesa
authors: R
authors: Shaboodien
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Weidmann
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Zimmerman
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Zoetmulder
authors: Fatemah
authors: F
authors: Camroodien-Surve
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D058445:Bullying / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010379:Peer Group; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012737:Sex Factors; D013019:South Africa; D013342:Stuttering / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires