Introduction
Stuttering is a fluency disorder that predominantly begins in childhood, impacting a significant number of individuals worldwide. Early identification is crucial for effective intervention, yet standardized screening tools for stuttering, particularly in the Indian school-going population, are lacking. The research article "Delphi Survey of Items for the Test of Stuttering Screening in Children (TSSC)" offers valuable insights into developing a screening tool tailored for this demographic.
Research Overview
The study employed a Delphi-based approach, a method known for its effectiveness in gathering expert opinions to establish content validity for clinical assessment tools. This approach was utilized to develop a culturally and linguistically appropriate screening tool for stuttering in Indian school children, covering grades 1 to 10. The process involved four phases:
- Phase 1: Identifying the need for a screening tool and gathering expert opinions on the nature of speech elicitation tasks.
- Phase 2: Constructing age-appropriate stimuli for the screening tool based on academic textbooks and expert recommendations.
- Phase 3: Validating the content of the tool with teachers, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and an English lecturer.
- Phase 4: Developing differential diagnostic criteria to distinguish stuttering from typical speech disfluencies.
Key Findings and Implications
The study successfully developed a screening tool comprising reading, picture description, and narration tasks specific to age, language, and cultural context. The tool achieved satisfactory consensus among experts, emphasizing its potential utility in clinical practice.
Five critical diagnostic criteria were identified, including sound and syllable repetition, whole word repetitions, duration of prolongation, effortful dysfluencies, and secondary behaviors. These criteria align with established indicators of stuttering, offering a robust framework for differential diagnosis.
The Delphi method proved instrumental in refining the tool, ensuring it meets the needs of clinicians working with school-aged children. By facilitating early identification, the tool can enhance intervention outcomes and contribute to epidemiological data on stuttering prevalence.
Encouragement for Practitioners
Practitioners are encouraged to integrate the findings from this study into their practice, enhancing their ability to identify stuttering in school settings. Further research is recommended to explore the psychometric properties of the developed tool, ensuring its efficacy and reliability across diverse populations.
Conclusion
This research marks a significant step towards addressing the gap in standardized screening tools for stuttering in the Indian context. By leveraging expert insights and a structured methodological approach, the developed tool promises to facilitate early intervention and improve outcomes for children with stuttering.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Delphi Survey of Items for the Test of Stuttering Screening in Children (TSSC).
