Abstract
Communication is a key factor in our life. Communication skills are important for development of the professional and personal relationships. Without them, one’s effectiveness in all roles during the life is limited. The main focus of the present research is stuttering that is a speech disorder where the sounds, syllables, or words are repeated or last longer than normal.
The main purpose of the study was to find out the best approaches of treating stuttering through identification and classification of stuttering, and in designation of existing approaches for its treatment with a particular focus on Ukraine and Norway.
Focusing on these two countries in an international frame was even more interesting, since understanding of this disorder and the approaches used for its treatment have been very much influenced in the past by the Soviet scientists in Ukraine and by the American, British and Australian researchers in Norway.
The study was performed according to the qualitative approach based on a case study design using the document analysis as a research method. Data analyses were performed using a reflective type of analysis and by using the concept of interpretive zone according to Wasser & Bresler (1996).
The received results indicated broad spectrum of differences in theories about the cause of stuttering, its definition and classification as well as its assessment between Norway and Ukraine. This led to the differences in approaches used for treatment of stuttering. This study also showed that understanding of stuttering as a disability and its treatment should be analyzed in the context of historical, social, economic and political relations in the two mentioned countries as well as taking into account the national cultural features.
In addition, this research highlights other factors that influence the ways of stuttering treatment and that should be considered for adaptation and implementation of new approaches in each country (if such decision would be done). Among them, there are models of designation and treatment of disability, the sectors of healthcare, interactions: speech language therapist– person who stutter, teacher – person who stutter, peers – person who stutter; role of the family and the environment.