Stuttering Meets Sterotype, Stigma, and Discrimination: An Overview of Attitude Research

More than a century of research has sought to identify the causes of stuttering, describe its nature, and enhance its clinical treatment. By contrast, studies directly focused upon public and professional attitudes toward stuttering began in the 1970s. Recent work has taken this research to new levels, including the development of standard attitude measures; addressing the widely reported phenomena of teasing, bullying, and discrimination against people who stutter; and attempting to change public opinion toward stuttering to more accepting and sensitive levels.