Gender Difference in Nature of Disfluencies in Children with Stuttering

Abstract

Gender difference in stuttering is a much debated issue. A lot of studies have been done on this, mostly in the western countries. Stuttering is not only reported to be less common in female compared to male children, with a 1: 4 ratio, but its onset, development and recovery characteristics are more in favor of females. The present study is aimed to explore the similarities and differences in nature of disfluencies, if any, in male and female children with stuttering (CWS), across the age groups in the Indian context. 24 male and 24 female CWS registered at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing were followed up. An analysis of the nature of disfluencies in terms of age of onset, nature and type of onset, time since onset, type of stuttering, nature and duration of treatment, associated problems, etiology of stuttering, and recovery patterns was done. Across gender significant differences have been obtained in most of the parameters under study. The study confirms many of the earlier findings by other authors with regard to gender differences in stuttering. Female CWS are different in the nature of disfluencies and recovery characteristics of stuttering compared to male CWS.