Effect of Assertiveness Skills Training on Self-Efficacy for Interpersonal Relationships in Children with Stuttering

One of the most common speech disorders is stuttering which cause in anxiety and shyness, and limits interpersonal relationships. The purpose of the present research was to examine the effect of assertiveness skills training on increasing self-efficacy in interpersonal relationships in boys with stuttering. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design and control group. The statistical population consisted of all boys with stuttering in 4th and 5th grade referred to speech therapy centers in Rasht in 2014-2015, of which a sample of 24 boys were selected through convenience sampling. They were randomly assigned to two (control and experimental) groups. To collect data, Wheeler & Lad`s children`s self-efficacy for peer interaction scale (1982) was used. After implementing pre-test, the assertiveness skills training program was conducted on experimental group for eight sessions , one and half hour per session and at last, post-test was conducted on both groups. Data were analyzed by covariance analysis. Results indicated that assertiveness skills training could increase self-efficacy in interpersonal relationships (1422.6), subscales of conflict (114.12) and non-conflict (175.03) of experimental group (P≤0.001). Since children with stuttering experience special fear and social anxiety in social interactions, so assertiveness skills training can be used as one of the axes of their therapy and rehabilitation.