2.3.1. Difficulties with Speech Fluency/Stuttering

The dependent variable was assessed via the parent questionnaire language and reading development in children with Down syndrome (for a full English version of the questionnaire, see [55]). The parent was asked to rate their child's "degree of difficulties with speech fluency/stuttering," with a four-category answer option: from no difficulties with disfluency/stuttering (1) to a high degree of difficulties with speech fluency/stuttering (4). Difficulty with speech fluency/stuttering (hereafter called difficulties with speech fluency) was mainly analysed as a continuous variable, though it was dichotomized to investigate the last research question with "none" interpreted as indicating no difficulties with speech fluency and little, moderate, and high interpreted as indicating a difficulty with speech fluency.
