Outcomes Of A Combined Mindfulness Stuttering Modification And Fluency Shaping Intervention For Children Who Stutter

A week-long intervention for five school-age children who stutter was implemented using techniques of fluency shaping, stuttering management, and mindfulness training. The purpose of this study was to investigate if children who stutter stuttered less frequently, stuttered with less struggle, and demonstrated changes in mindfulness measures after the completion of this week-long intervention. Pre- to post-treatment measures were analyzed by individual and group-level results. A comparative analysis between reading and narrative tasks was also performed. Findings indicate that three out of five children reduced the total number of disfluencies during the reading task, and two children reduced this total during the narrative task. Four out of five children decreased the level of struggle in both tasks. Two children improved their overall mindfulness scores; however, additional changes in sub-divisions of mindfulness varied by participant. As a group, the total number of disfluencies decreased during the reading task, while the total number of disfluencies did not change from pre- to post-treatment measures during the narrative task. The group demonstrated improvements in mindfulness in the areas of communication attitudes, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression. A comparison between reading and narrative tasks suggest that performance on these tasks approximated to one another by the end of the treatment. The results of this study should be interpreted with caution as this was a pilot study with clinical limitations; however, future studies are necessary to verify and support these findings.

A recent U.S.-based survey (Boyle et al, . 2011) estimated stuttering prevalence in American children ages 3-17 years at 1.6% or 1 in 63 children. In comparison to the reported 1 in 68 school age children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010), stuttering affects nearly as many. These estimates suggest that Speech-Language Pathologist (SLPs) should increasingly develop their skill sets for identifying and providing interventions for children who stutter. The evidence base for school-age fluency intervention, while promising, leaves much room for further development (Nippold, 2011). The majority of current interventions revolve around the traditional methods of fluency shaping and stuttering management. While these approaches are widely used, there is limited evidence to support their efficacy with the school-aged population (Bothe, et al., 2006). In addition, there is disagreement about whether treatment of stuttering in children should focus exclusively on "building fluent speech" or, whether interventions should also include cognitive/emotional components (Yaruss, Coleman, & Quesal, 2012) as are often associated with interventions for stuttering in adults. As a solution to the need for a cognitive/emotional component, Michael Boyle (2011) suggested including mindfulness in school-aged stuttering intervention by pointing out the similarities between the advantages of mindfulness treatment and personality traits necessary for long-term fluency maintenance. Although there has not yet been any published research in direct support of this idea, the notion that these three elements influence the effects of fluency intervention provides a foundation for the proposed research questions.

Stammering Therapy from the Inside offers a comprehensive overview of a range of contemporary stammering therapy approaches. It links theory to practice, with an emphasis on describing the therapy journey and outcomes from the perspectives of both clinicians and clients. This shared reflection will give the reader the opportunity to consider key issues in relation to their own work practice and context. The purpose of this book is to: document and share knowledge of established practices in stammering therapy; broaden the discourse and extend the boundaries of thinking about stammering therapy; enrich and enhance professional accounts of stammering therapy by including clients as co-authors of therapy knowledg

The goal of this book is to call attention to a systematic scientific approach to studying and treating stuttering via the strategies of operant conditioning, learning theory, and single-subject research design. Another purpose is to present the data collected and/or published over the past 30 years in one place for evaluation and comparison. This new edition starts with a brief introductory chapter including the basic principles of operant analysis. Chapter 2 covers the mechanics of charting, counting, and computing stuttering and speaking rates. Chapter 3 describes evaluation with both new d.

THE ADULT SPEECH THERAPY WORKBOOK is your go-to resource for handouts and worksheets. It was designed for speech therapists new to adult speech therapy and covers the most common diagnoses and disorders across all adult speech therapy settings, from hospitals, to skilled nursing facilities, to home health. This workbook is packed with over 580 pages of practical, evidenced-based treatment material.

Gain confidence in your ability to help young children who stutter by using this ground-breaking manual. The authors now share their successful approach to direct stuttering therapy in book form. Their enthusiasm is catching and their clinical instincts unerring. The easy-to-read, fun-to-follow format provides a wealth of information addressing: scheduling therapy sessions differential diagnosis planning and implementing direct therapy strategies monitoring progress transfer and long-term maintenance counseling children on dealing with their feelings about stuttering Packed with relevant case studies, delightfully illustrated fluency activities and games, Fun with Fluency makes fluency strategies concrete for even your youngest clients.