Ghanaian Speech-Language Pathologists and Stuttering Treatment: Changes in Knowledge and Confidence After Professional Development

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) worldwide face challenges in treating people who stutter, often citing inadequate knowledge and confidence, particularly in assessment and intervention. This study explored the strengths and areas of need among Ghanaian SLPs in treating stuttering. A secondary aim examined changes in SLPs' self-rated knowledge and confidence levels before and after a 6-week asynchronous online stuttering professional development (PD) program. Method: A secondary data set comprising 34 responses (28 from Phase I and six from Phase II) was analyzed. Phase I surveyed SLPs' needs, knowledge, and confidence levels, informing Phase II, which assessed self-rated knowledge and confidence pre- and post-PD. Descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis were employed. Results: SLPs' confidence was highest in parent counseling (25%), stuttering theory (17%), and teacher education (15%). SLPs' areas of least confidence were intervention (20%), assessment (19%), and goal setting (17%). The greatest support needs were in assessment (19%), intervention (17%), goal setting (17%), and accommodations (15%). Most SLPs reported increased knowledge of stuttering theory (40%), assessment (48%), and intervention (46%). SLPs demonstrated increases in self-reported knowledge and confidence across all 10 outcomes following the 6-week asynchronous PD program, with post-intervention scores exceeding pre-intervention scores. Conclusions: The findings provide preliminary evidence regarding the feasibility and value of asynchronous online PD for SLPs in Ghana. It further supports the need for expanded mentorship for SLPs in Ghana, particularly in stuttering management. Supplemental Material: Online training for Ghanaia…