Double jeopardy for children who stutter: Race and coexisting disorders

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of racial and ethnic backgrounds in children who stutter (CWS) with 18 specific coexisting disorders. A sample of 1,184 speech-language pathologists responded to a detailed questionnaire designed to answer questions about the type and prevalence of coexisting disorders in 2,535 CWS. Results suggest that 866 (34.1%) children from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds displayed six major coexisting disorders: learning disabilities, literacy disorders, attention deficit disorders, auditory processing disorders, neuropsychological disorders, and behavioral disorders. Measures of risk, relative risks, and odds ratio for racial and ethnic differences among groups of CWS were calculated. African American CWS show a higher risk for coexisting learning disabilities, literacy disorders, attention deficit disorders, and behavioral disorders than White, non-Hispanic, Hispanic, and Asian CWS. Males who stutter had a significantly greater number of coexisting disorders than females who stutter. A number of alternative interpretations are presented.