The experience of stuttering among adolescents in Iran: A cross-cultural study.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experience of adolescents who stutter in Iran by translating and adapting the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering-Teens protocol for Farsi-speaking adolescents and compare the impact of stuttering on their lives with that of adolescents from other countries.

Method: A rigorous translation and cross-cultural adaptation process-comprising forward and backward translation, expert committee review, and pilot testing-produced the OASES-T-F. The questionnaire was administered to 102 adolescents (51 males, 51 females) aged 12-17 years. Internal consistency was assessed via Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability via intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and impact scores were compared with published data from the USA, Australia, Sweden, and Poland.

Result: The OASES-T-F demonstrated strong internal reliability (α = .82-.95) and test-retest stability (ICC = .90-.93). Domain scores for general information, reactions to stuttering, and communication difficulties were moderate and aligned with other countries' data. Notably, the quality-of-life domain yielded significantly higher impact among Iranian adolescents.

Conclusion: The OASES-T-F is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing stuttering in Farsi-speaking teens. Findings suggest that Iran's cultural context amplifies stuttering's social and emotional effects. Clinicians should integrate cultural considerations into assessment and intervention plans.