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From: Lynne Shields
Date: 10/22/02
Time: 2:59:46 PM
Remote Name: 199.217.208.172
Nora,
Thanks for your question. I wish I had a good answer for you. I know of no research related to verbal expectations for girls who stutter. I can only speak for myself and say that I always encourage teachers to check with any students who stutter to see how they would like to handle speaking in class. My goal is that a child who stutters, either a boy or girl, would eventually be willing to speak in the same situations and under the same conditions as non-stuttering children. However, I think it is important to allow a child to work out ways that are comfortable for them to participate verbally in class, and gradually modify those as they become more confident. In terms of the last part of your question, it is important that any child who stutters be evaluated for co-existing problems, be they speech and language or educational in nature. This is important since children who stutter show other problems at a higher rate than is found in the general population. Again, this should be applied equally to boys and girls.
Whenever I give a workshop to school-base clinicians, I try to make these points clear. That's my personal attempt to try to encourage teachers to include children who stutter as participating members of their classroom. After reading your paper (sorry that I didn't get around to commenting or tackling your good questions!), I am motivated to be sure to make the point even more clearly that it isn't O.K. for the girls to be quiet, either just because they are girls or because they stutter.
Your question is quite good, and your point is well taken. Thanks for asking.
Lynne