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ERIC Number: EJ1472061
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1368-2822
EISSN: EISSN-1460-6984
Available Date: 2025-04-11
Experiences of Fluent Siblings Living with Children Who Stutter in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study
Ying Qian Ong1; Nur Nabilah Ahmad Ghazali1; Susheel Joginder Singh1; Rachael Unicomb2; Shin Ying Chu1
International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, v60 n3 e70034 2025
Background: Previous studies have predominantly investigated the impact of having a child who stutters (CWS) on parents and their associated parent-child relationship. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the perceptions of stuttering held by siblings living with CWS in Malaysia. Aims: To explore the experiences of fluent siblings of Malaysian CWS. Methods & Procedures: A total of 10 fluent siblings were recruited (mean age = 13.40 years, SD = 3.23, age range = 7-18 years, four females) and semi-structured interviews were used to explore their perceptions towards their siblings who stutter, their emotional reactions towards their siblings, the strategies they use during communication breakdowns and how stuttering affects their relationships with their siblings. All interviews were performed using Zoom to allow data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. To avoid parental bias, all interviews were conducted without the parent's participation in the interviews. Interviews were conducted in both Bahasa Malaysia (Malaysia's native language) and English (the second most spoken language in Malaysia), depending on the participants' preferred languages. Each interview lasted between 20 and 25 min (mean = 22.8, SD = 2.56). Audio recordings were de-identified and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to explore the lived experiences of these siblings. Outcomes & Results: Four main themes were identified--(1) how siblings perceive the speech of CWS; (2) the communication strategies used by siblings to repair communication breakdown; (3) the feelings that fluent siblings have about stuttering and how they cope with it; and (4) how the stuttering makes the siblings' relationships closer. Conclusions & Implications: This study's findings provide multiple perspectives on the perceptions and attitudes of siblings around stuttering. In addition, the study offers useful insights about the needs of these siblings and techniques for meeting those needs. These results have the potential to contribute to the existing knowledge base and assist speech-language pathologists and other healthcare professionals in working effectively with CWS and their families.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malaysia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness (H-CARE), Speech Sciences Programme, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia