School adjustment in children who stutter: The quality of the student-teacher relationship, peer relationships, and children's academic and behavioral competence

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of the student-teacher relationship, peer relationship, emotional and behavioral outcomes and academic performance in school adjustment of children who stutter. Methods: The convenience sample consisted of 536 children – 62 affected by stuttering and 474 in the control group – and 36 prevalent teachers from six primary and secondary schools in Northwest Italy. Children were assessed with a sociometric questionnaire. Teacher evaluations were also used to assess their perception of their relationships with the student (Student-Teacher Relationship Scale), children’ behavior (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and children's academic competence. Chi-squared tests, t tests, bivariate correlations, and Multivariate Analysis of Variances (MANOVAs) controlling for the students’ social status in the peer group were used to analyze the data. Results: The chi-squared test showed that children who stutter were more unpopular and rejected by peers than expected. The results of several MANOVA 2 (presence of stuttering in children) × 5 (students’ social status in the peer group) tests performed on study variables showed greater difficulty on the teacher's part to establish a relationship based on affective closeness with mainstream students that are unpopular and rejected by classmates, but not with children who stutters. Children who stutter also showed high levels in Hyperactivity and low academic outcomes. Conclusions: Findings suggest to teachers the need to meditate on school well-being of children who stutter in order improve their social inclusion in the classmates group, and provide researchers with an in-depth knowledge about the effect of stuttering on children's school adjustment.