Effect of fluency disorders on academic achievement of children at school age

Abstract

Abstract Background Communication disorders pose significant barriers to interpersonal relationships during the school years. Children affected by stuttering experience lower self-esteem and struggle to form positive social connections when compared to their peers without speech difficulties. This study aimed to assess how fluency disorders impact the academic performance of school-age children. Methods This case-control study was conducted on 50 children aged 6 to 10.5 years with IQ ≥ 90, including both males and females. Participants were equally divided into two groups: the stutterer cases group (n = 25) and the control group (n = 25). All participants underwent a three-phase diagnostic protocol consisting of elementary diagnostic procedures (comprehensive history taking and clinical examinations), followed by clinical diagnostic aids including auditory perceptual evaluation with documentation, Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) to assess linguistic strengths and weaknesses, Arabic version of Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI) to evaluate stuttering severity, and Arabic Dyslexia Assessment Test (ADAT) to assess dyslexia risk, with lower scores indicating higher risk. Additional instrumental diagnostic measures were implemented when clinically indicated. Results The demographic analysis showed no significant differences in age between the case and control groups. Gender distribution differed notably, with males being more prevalent in the case group. Dyslexia was present in 44.0% of patients in the case group compared to 24.0% in the control group. Analysis revealed a correlation between stuttering severity and dyslexia. Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between stuttering severity and mean Illinois test scores. Conclusions While stuttering did not significantly affect educational achievement in learners who stutter (LWS) in comparison to the control group. Higher stuttering severity was associated with increased rates of dyslexia. Furthermore, among stutterers with dyslexia, there was a significant correlation between the severity of stuttering and the intensity of dyslexia symptoms.