| Summary |
This study was designed to examine the perceptions of rehabilitation counselors 'regarding the severity of speech problems and the relative effectiveness of speech therapy programs. Specifically, a purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences existed between ratings of the degree of handicap of speech disorders and ratings of the degree of handicap of nine other disabling conditions as estimated by a group of counselors involved in the field of rehabilitation. Another purpose of this study was to analyze rehabilitation counselors' ratings of the degree of handicap of six speech disorders. This study was also concerned with counselors' ratings of the degree of success of speech therapy that they felt would be or had been attained by their clients with specific speech disorders. Finally, differences between counselors' ratings as a function of experience in the field of rehabilitation were analyzed. Five hundred randomly selected members of the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association were used as subjects for this study. Each counselor was sent a four page questionnaire containing an introductory letter and three rating scales. On each rating scale, respondents used a defined scale of seven equally appearing intervals to make their ratings. The first rating scale obtained respondents' ratings of the perceived degree of handicap afforded by ten disabling conditions including: emotional disorders; respiratory disorders; spinal cord injury or disease; mental retardation; speech disorders; bone, joint, and muscle disorders; hearing loss; heart and blood vessel disease; visual loss; and amputations. The second rating scale obtained respondents' ratings of the perceived degree of handicap afforded by the six speech disorders of cleft palate speech, delayed speech development, cerebral palsied speech, misarticulation, stuttering, and voice defects. |
| Summary |
Regarding the third rating scale, respondents rated the degree of success of speech therapy for the aforementioned disorders of speech. Two hundred and fifty-one questionnaires were returned. Results from analyses of the data indicated that respondents did not perceive the degree of handicap of speech disorders to be significantly different from the degree of handicap of amputations. Respondents viewed speech disorders as less handicapping than the remaining eight disabling conditions. Stuttering was used as a reference point in the analysis of the last two rating scales. Respondents rated the degree of handicap of stuttering significantly lower than the degree of handicap of cerebral palsied speech and significantly higher than the degree of handicap of voice disorders. No significant differences were found between stuttering and the remaining disorders of speech. Respondents rated the degree of success of speech therapy for stuttering as more successful than success of speech therapy for cerebral palsied speech and cleft palate speech. No significant differences were found between the degree of success of speech therapy for the remaining disorders of speech. Results from an analysis of the ratings made by respondents with less than three years of experience in the field of rehabilitation compared to ratings made by respondents with more than three years of experience showed significant differences on only two variables of the entire questionnaire. Less experienced counselors rated the conditions of emotional disorders and amputations as significantly more handicapping than more experienced counselors rated them. |
| General note | Submitted to the faculty of the Department of Special Education. |
| General note | Advisor: Hal J. Daniel, III |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 1971 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references leaves (44-47). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
