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Pragmatic assessment in Egyptian stuttering children

The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology volume 28, pages 127–135 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background

Pragmatics, the use of language in context, has been investigated only recently in the language of children who stutter. Some investigators have begun to address how the language and fluency of stuttering are influenced in different communicative settings. Some recent data have suggested that there may be a propensity for a delay or differences in certain areas of language learning for children who stutter compared with normal fluent children, specifically in vocabulary, pragmatic, or syntax development.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess pragmatic skills in Egyptian Arabic-speaking children who stutter and to determine the relation between stuttering and the pragmatic aspect of language for future planning of a pragmatic-focused rehabilitation program for children who stutter.

Participants and methods

The sample in this study included 20 Egyptian Arabic-speaking children diagnosed to have stuttering and 20 children with normally developed language who spoke fluently. Both groups were of average intelligence; their age ranged between 4 and 7 years. All were from the same socioeconomic strata and were selected from the outpatient clinic Kasr El-Aini Hospital. All participants were subjected to a pragmatic assessment and language assessment applied in the Phoniatric Unit, Kasr El-Aini hospital.

Results

Scores of pragmatic skills were significantly lower in the stuttering group than the control group, except in object function skills. Preverbal communication skills decreased with increasing degree of stuttering and with an increase in Bloodstein stages of stuttering. Otherwise, other pragmatic skills showed no linear correlation with increasing degree of stuttering severity or an increase in Bloodstein stages of stuttering

Conclusion

Scores of pragmatic skills were significantly deficient in the stuttering group. All this should be considered during planning of a rehabilitation program for stuttering.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Phoniatric Unit, ENT Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kasr El-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, 30 Milsa Towers, City Stars, MadinatNasr, Cairo, Egypt

    Elham Ahmed Shaheen

  2. Phoniatric Unit, ENT Department, Faculty of Medicine, Bani Suef University, Bani Suef, Egypt

    Amr Abd-Elsalam Anter & Nesreen Fathy Hussin

Authors
  1. Elham Ahmed Shaheen
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  2. Amr Abd-Elsalam Anter
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  3. Nesreen Fathy Hussin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elham Ahmed Shaheen.

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Shaheen, E.A., Anter, A.AE. & Hussin, N.F. Pragmatic assessment in Egyptian stuttering children. Egypt J Otolaryngol 28, 127–135 (2012). https://doi.org/10.7123/01.EJO.0000413416.75990.e2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7123/01.EJO.0000413416.75990.e2

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