Fluency Strategies of Spanish–English Bilinguals Who Stutter: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract

Purpose Stuttering is multifaceted in that the frequency and types of behaviors vary across speakers, contexts, and languages. Similarly, bilingualism varies in language history, levels of proficiency, and languages spoken. The variations in bilingualism make it difficult to investigate and result in knowledge gaps about the bilingual stuttering experience. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study is to identify and examine fluency-inducing strategies used by Spanish–English bilingual adults who stutter. Method Twenty Spanish–English bilingual adults who stutter, ages 18–61 years, answered open-ended questions about their stuttering and language history via an online survey. Thematic analysis procedures were used to explore participants' narrative responses to 2 survey items regarding fluency-inducing strategies. Result Three major themes emerged from participants' responses regarding self-reported strategies: (a) clinical techniques, (b) focused breathing, and (c) idiosyncratic practices. Participants reported using clinical techniques classified as fluency shaping, stuttering modification, or both approaches. Focused breathing was used as both an anticipatory and a recovery strategy. Idiosyncratic practices included physiological changes, listener-focused strategies, emotional regulation, and switching words. When asked specifically about use of code-switching for the 2nd question, half of the participants stated that they do switch languages to induce fluency. Conclusion Clinical implications include the need for individualized client education, a thorough assessment of avoidance and escape behaviors, and customized treatment programs for bilinguals who stutter.