Perceptions of Vocational Counselors and Their Career Advice for Individuals Who Stutter

Purpose: This study aimed to evalvate perceptions of vocational counselors and their career advice for individuals who stutter. Methods: Forty-six vocational counselors were randomly assigned to two different stuttering conditions (mild and severe recordings, 23 per condition) and asked to listen to one of the recordings and to rate the speaker’s suitability for 31 occupations, along with perceptions of the speaking demands and educational requirements for the occupations. The participants were also told to provide three pieces of career advice tailored to individuals who stutter. Results: Occupational suitability ratings were affected more by occupation-associated speaking demands than educational requirements, regardless of the severity of stuttering. The vocational counselors recommended occupations more with a lower speaking demand and emphasized efforts to overcome stuttering. Conclusion: These results indicate that vocational counselors tend to recommend less occupations with a high speaking demand to individuals who stutter but occupational advice and support to overcome employment difficulties should be provided for them.