Desensitization-Based Structured Intervention Program for Individuals With Stuttering

The structured therapy program designed for job interviews is planned for a total of 10 weeks, with pre-tests administered in the first week and post-tests in the last week. (Pre-test measurements will be taken in the 1st week, and post-test measurements in the 10th week.) Data collection will be conducted by the researcher through 40-50 minute individual therapy sessions once a week. Participants who approve the Informed Consent Form (Appendix 8) will be included in the study. Pre-test and post-test measurements will be collected via Google Forms, and the intervention program will be conducted face-to-face in the office in the 8th week, while the other weeks will be conducted online, in a hybrid format. A pilot application will be conducted before the main study begins. Job interviews in the 7th and 8th weeks will be conducted by an expert experienced in job interviews. After the intervention group completes the process, an accelerated program will be applied to the control group. While developing the content of the therapy, the literature was reviewed and desensitization-focused programs were examined (Hohulin and Sawyer, 2010; Çağlayan, 2024). Care was taken to ensure a systematic hierarchical structure in the development of the intervention, and the therapy content included desensitization strategies; education, voluntary stuttering, self-disclosure statements, gradual exposure, cognitive restructuring, scenario-based work, and role-playing exercises.

The program was finalized after obtaining expert opinions from 5 faculty members specializing in stuttering with at least 5 years of experience. The weekly general content plans for the therapies are presented below. WEEK 1:

• Taking pre-tests (via Google Forms) and providing information about the therapy process.

• Demographic Information Form
• Stuttering Frequency Measurement (400-syllable speech video recording sample)
• Internalized Stigma Scale
• Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale
• Interview Anxiety Scale
• Beck Depression Scale (The individual will complete the Beck Depression Scale for exclusion criteria.)
• Beck Anxiety Scale (The individual will complete the Beck Anxiety Scale for exclusion criteria.)

WEEK 2:

• Providing information about stuttering (types of stuttering, frequency, prevalence, causes, effects of stuttering in adulthood), working on desensitization strategies to training strategies, and supporting the individual in gaining awareness. - Identifying the individual's stuttering moments and types. Talking about their stuttering.

WEEK 3:

• Discussing career stages and job interviews. (Definitions, content, etc.)
• Discussing the effects of target variables (fear of negative evaluation, anxiety in selection interviews, self-stigma, frequency of stuttering) on job interviews.

WEEK 4:

• Discussing SWOT analysis and conducting individual analysis.
• Based on the results of the analysis, conducting studies on cognitive restructuring strategies from desensitization strategies.

WEEK 5:

• Practicing with different employer models, both supportive and challenging, created by the researcher.
• Prioritizing role-playing exercises from desensitization strategies; defining and incorporating strategies such as self-disclosure, acceptance of stuttering, and voluntary stuttering.

WEEK 6:

• Meeting and chatting with an individual who stutters and has job interview experience via the Google Meet platform.

WEEK 7:

• Conducting a job interview over the phone. (by an experienced interviewer using a standard question list)

Planned questions:

"Could you tell us a little about yourself?" "Could you briefly summarize your education and career path?" "What are your strengths?" "What are your areas for improvement?" "How do you cope when faced with a difficult situation? Can you share an example?" "What are your expectations from the job and from us?" "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

WEEK 8:

Conducting a face-to-face job interview. (by an experienced interviewer using a standard question list)

Planned questions: "Could you tell us a little about yourself?" "Could you briefly summarize your education and career path?" "What are your strengths?" "What are your areas for improvement?" "How do you cope when faced with a difficult situation? If you have an example from your own experience, can you share it?" "What are your expectations from work and from us?" "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

WEEK 9:

Discussion with the participant about the intervention process conducted in previous weeks.

A conversation about how they evaluate their desensitization experiences and the termination of the therapy process.

WEEK 10:

Taking final test measurements. (Stuttering Frequency, Internalized Stigma Scale, Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, Interview Anxiety Scale, Social Validity Form)

These are the measurements taken.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18-35,
• Having had at least one job interview before,
• Not actively receiving speech and language therapy support,
• Having a stuttering frequency of 3% or higher

Exclusion criteria

• Lacking an ethical statement
• Above-average results on Beck Depression and Beck Anxiety Inventories