Applying Tests of Readability to Online Stuttering Information

Abstract

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in early childhood. Information about the disorder and intervention is important for persons who wish to speak more easily and communicate more effectively. The internet is usually the first source of information for adults who stutter and parents of children who stutter. This study was undertaken to examine the readability of the most popular stuttering websites, and whether this is in line with the general population’s reading ability. A search was conducted with the key word “stuttering.” The first 100 websites that met a set of criteria were included in the analyses. Along with the readability tests, the websites’ extensions were recorded. The URLs were input into an automatic readability score generator. A number of tests were performed. These tests included the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease (FKRE), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Grade Level, Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI). Findings suggest that the 100 most popular websites about stuttering are written at a higher than the recommended 5th grade reading level. Websites with URL extensions .edu, .org, and .gov are generally written at a significantly higher level (i.e., are more difficult to read) compared with others (e.g., .net and .com). Overall, the results indicated that the readability level of the information online on stuttering is substantially higher than recommended. Simpler writing would permit a larger part of the general population to access useful information, thereby increasing the potential to help with early identification of young children with stuttering, their families, and adults who stutter.