The prevalence of stuttering, voice, and speech-sound disorders in primary school students in Australia

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were threefold: to report teachers' estimates of the prevalence of speech disorders (specifically, stuttering, voice, and speech-sound disorders); to consider correspondence between the prevalence of speech disorders and gender, grade level, and socioeconomic status; and to describe the level of support provided to schoolchildren with speech disorders. METHOD: Students with speech disorders were identified from 10,425 students in Australia using a 4-stage process: training in the data collection process, teacher identification, confirmation by a speech-language pathologist, and consultation with district special needs advisors. RESULTS: The prevalence of stude..