Lejla Junuzović-Žunić

Background: Negative public attitudes promote undesirable stereotypes and stigma in stutterers. Method: To mitigate negative attitudes, 403 respondents combined from 16 international samples filled out the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S) before and after interventions to improve attitudes and were compared to 249 respondents from seven control groups. Investigators aimed (a) to replicate an extreme case of regression to the mean (i.e., “crossover” effect) reported earlier in larger combined samples in which respondents with high pre-scores ended with low post-scores, respondents with low pre-scores finished with high post-scores, and intermediate scorers were unchanged; and (b) to identify individual POSHA–S items related to overall attitude change and among the high and low scorers. Results: As in previous studies, stuttering attitudes improved in the intervention group but not in the control group. Intervention and control respondents demonstrated “crossover” but less than the earlier samples due to lower pre–post correlations. Item contributions to pre–post change and differences among the three change groups were inconsistent; however, high agreement items by respondents were less likely to vary than low agreement items. Conclusion: The “crossover” effect was replicated, and future research should explore its presence in other measures or conditions.

Background: Negative public attitudes promote undesirable stereotypes and stigma in stutterers. Method: To mitigate negative attitudes, 16 international samples of 403 total respondents took the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S) before and after interventions and were compared to seven combined control groups with 249 respondents. Investigators sought (a) to replicate an extreme case of regression to the mean, the “crossover” effect reported earlier in larger combined samples where negative changers with high pre-scores ended with low post-scores and positive changers with low pre-scores finished with the high post-scores and (b) to identify POSHA–S items related to attitudes overall change and among negative, minimal, and positive changers. Results: As in previous studies, stuttering attitudes improved in the intervention group but not the control group. Intervention and control respondents demonstrated “crossover” but less than the earlier samples due to lower pre-post correlations. Item contributions to pre-post change and differences among the three changer groups were inconsistent; however, high agreement items by respondents were less likely to vary than items with less unanimous agreement. Conclusion: The “crossover” effect was replicated, and future research should explore its presence in other measures or conditions.

Previous studies show that interventions to improve attitudes toward stuttering yield inconsistent results on the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S). Comparisons of pre- and post-intervention samples indicate that success depends on the percentage of respondents who improved rather than the magnitude of change. A “crossover” effect emerged: respondents with the most positive pre-test attitudes showed lower post-test ratings, whereas those with the most negative pre-test attitudes showed the greatest improvement; respondents with intermediate attitudes showed little change. Similar patterns appeared in non-intervention samples, where one-third fell into positive, minimal, or negative change groups. The study analyzed 943 respondents from 29 intervention samples classified as unsuccessful (U), marginally successful (MS), successful (S), or very successful (VS), plus 345 respondents from 12 non-intervention samples. Using non-intervention data as a baseline, we calculated percentages shifting among the three change groups. In the VS category, interventions moved people from the negative and minimal change groups into the positive change group. In the S category, gains in the positive change group came from the negative change group. In the MS category, all intervention-related changes began in the negative change group, yielding modest growth in the positive and minimal change group. The U category showed shifts into both the positive and negative change group, mainly reducing the minimal change group. These findings suggest that interventions to improve attitudes toward stuttering should apply strategies tailored to individuals in positive, minimal, and negative change groups.

Background: Parents play a central role in the treatment of childhood stuttering. Addressing parental attitudes toward stuttering is helpful therapeutically. The extent to which differences in attitudes toward stuttering exist on the basis of sex, geographical region and parental status (e.g., parent of a stuttering child, parent of a nonstuttering child, nonparent) is unclear. Many studies investigating such factors have used the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA–S) questionnaire. A large POSHA–S database has collected responses from over 20 000 people from 49 countries.Aims: The aim of this study was to use the POSHA‐S database to examine the extent to which the following variables influence attitudes toward stuttering: (a) parents’ sex (mothers vs. fathers), (b) geographic region (Middle East vs. Europe and North America), (c) parents’ children (stuttering vs. nonstuttering) and (d) parental status (parents versus nonparents).Methods & Procedures: Data used in this study were extracted from selected, relevant studies that administered the POSHA–S to respondents. The Overall Stuttering Scores were compared on the basis of sex and parent status (i.e., mothers and fathers; nonparent women and men) and were then compared within and across the two geographical areas. Group comparisons were performed using analysis of variance followed by independent t tests, and Cohen's d was calculated to determine effect sizes.Outcomes & Results: Statistically significant differences were observed upon the basis of geographical region. In general, male parents and nonparents tend to have more positive stuttering attitudes among the Middle Eastern samples while female parents and nonparents tend to show more positive attitudes in European and North American samples in the POSHA–S database. Effect sizes were small for all comparisons.Conclusions & Implications: The effect of geographic region and culture may predict sex‐based differences among mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes toward stuttering; however, the clinical significance is unclear. Additional research is needed to better understand how children who stutter are affected by their parents’ attitudes toward stuttering.What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject: The research clearly indicates that attitudes toward stuttering vary according to geographical region. Less clear is whether mothers and fathers from geographically diverse backgrounds hold different attitudes toward stuttering and the extent to which parental status (being a parent, parent of a child who stutters or nonparent) affects attitudes toward stuttering. What this study adds: This study's findings confirm that geographical differences do influence attitudes toward stuttering. Male parents and nonparents tend to have equal or more positive attitudes toward stuttering in Middle Eastern samples, whereas non‐Middle Eastern female parents and nonparents tend to show hold more positive attitudes. What are the clinical implications of this work?: In addition to being culturally sensitive when working with parents of children who stutter, clinicians should also consider that mothers and fathers may have some differences in attitudes and behaviours toward their child's stuttering. These differences should be considered when designing treatment plans. It should also be noted that, despite statistical significance, the effect sizes in this study were low, suggesting that further research as well as close collaboration with parents of children who stutter is warranted.

Primarily, this study explored attitudes toward stuttering of public school teachers in two countries, Bosnia & Herzegovina (B&H) (n = 125) and Egypt (n = 58), in order to identify differences in stuttering attitudes, that may exist between the two samples. Secondarily, it compared teacher attitudes from B&H and Egypt with stuttering attitudes of non-teacher samples from these two countries as well as from teacher and non-teacher samples from other European and Middle Eastern countries. All samples utilized the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes – Stuttering (POSHA – S). Comparing mean ratings, teachers from B&H held significantly more positive (accurate and sensitive) stuttering attitudes than Egyptian teachers on a majority of POSHA – S items and summary scores. Lack of knowledge and geo-cultural differences between B&H and Egypt are likely major factors in explaining the differences observed. Teachers’ attitudes were no more positive than the attitudes of the public or parents in either country. They also confirmed a pattern from previous research showing more positive attitudes in European samples than Middle Eastern samples. Educating teachers about stuttering will contribute to creating a more favorable school environment for children who stutter.

Neurogenic stuttering is a subtype of acquired stuttering, and it is characterized by disfluencies associated with acquired brain damage. To provide an insight into pathophysiology, symptomatology, differential diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of neurogenic stuttering through a critical review of the literature. Studies published during the past and recent years were searched and analyzed on neurogenic stuttering. Neurogenic stuttering is a complex disorder. The pathophysiological mechanism of neurogenic stuttering is not yet fully understood. It appears with several neurological diseases and conditions, and the use of some drugs. Differential diagnosis of neurogenic and psychogenic stuttering is a challenge for clinicians. Treatment usually requires a joint effort from speech therapists and doctors, most often neurologists Although research on neurogenic stuttering can be found in the literature, the complexity of this disorder still requires detailed monitoring and studying to provide the best treatment for patients.

Purpose: A growing body of research has addressed children’s stuttering attitudes between preschool and upper elementary school. Attitudes among preschoolers and kindergarteners have been reported to be much lower that fifth graders’ attitudes, at which time children’s attitudes seemingly converge with their parents’ attitudes. It has been suggested these observed changes align with children’s social and cognitive development and are resistant to the influence of other variables, such as their culture. The purposes of this study were (a) to extend cultural examinations of children’s stuttering attitudes in a sample of kindergarteners through sixth graders in Bosnia & Herzegovina (B&H), and (b) to compare their attitudes with their parents’ attitudes. Methods: One hundred eighty-six child-parent pairs from B&H completed translated versions of the child and adult Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S/Child and POSHA-S). Four child cohorts were examined: (a) kindergarteners, (b) first and second graders, (c) third and fourth graders, and (d) fifth and sixth graders. Results: Children’s stuttering attitudes improved with age, with the youngest cohort holding the most negative attitudes. Parents held consistently more positive attitudes than the children overall, but the oldest children’s attitudes were quite similar to the parent group. Conclusions: Confirming previous research, children’s stuttering attitudes progressively improved with age and approached the attitudes of their parents by fifth and sixth grade.

Objective: This study investigated acoustic and perceptual characteristics of the voice of patients with thyroid gland disorders such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism immediately after the diagnosis was made and six months later, after using drug therapy. Materials and Methods: The study includes 20 female outpatients with hypothyroidism and 27 female outpatients with hyperthyroidism. The criterion for the selection of the patients was a thyroid gland disorder medical diagnosis, no history of voice disorders and absence of other possible causes of voice changes. Acoustic, perceptual and aerodynamic parameters were assessed. Acoustic analysis was performed by specific software. Experienced speech and language pathologists made perceptual voice assessment by using grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale. Results: Significant differences in patients with hypothyroidism were established on parameter amplitude perturbation, jitter and noise-to-harmonics ratio between pretreatment and posttreatment period, in which patients took drug therapy. In group of patients with hyperthyroidism significant difference was noted only on aerodynamic parameter maximum phonation time. There were a significant differences in all perceptual parameters in both groups of patients (p

Population aging increases the number of people with dementia. Dementia is a set of symptoms that include memory difficulties, learning difficulties, speech and language difficulties, disorientation in time and space, difficulties in understanding and behavioral changes. Dementia is not part of natural aging and needs to be understood as such and have to be recognized at time to provide adequate support for people with dementia. To present the importance of communication: To present communication difficulties which are the result of dementia; To present adaptations in the way of communicating with people with dementia. The article has a descriptive character, and represents a review of the literature dealing with this topic. Difficulties in area of language are a common symptom in people with dementia. Those communication difficulties are a consequence of nerve cell failure, and person with dementia should not be blamed of the symptoms that arise. People with dementia show lower results in the area of understanding and verbal expression, repetition, reading and writing. Syntax and phonology remain relatively intact in early stages, but semantic abilities are impaired. Communication for people with dementia and with people with dementia for all persons involved in care (including family members, medical staff and therapists, and members of the community) can be very challenging. It is often necessary to adapt the way of communication to avoid stress and negative feelings in a person with dementia. As the disease causing dementia progresses, communication problems are increasing as well. Many times caregivers and therapists are in situations where their communicative behavior (verbal, but also nonverbal) needs to show support, compassion, care, and desire to help.