Theoretical Issues In Stuttering

Although there is now a large body of research into the nature and treatment of stuttering, little is understood about its underlying mechanisms. As a result until now there has been no comprehensive review of the numerous theories and models that have been proposed to explain stuttering. Theoretical Issues in Stuttering provides a comprehensive account of the contribution of theory to understanding and managing stuttering. It covers an impressive range of topics including a description of both past and current theories of stuttering, placing each within the relevant historical context. In addition, the authors evaluate the explanatory power of such models and provide a detailed exploration of the implications of these models for the practitioner. Theoretical Issues in Stuttering aims to fill a gap in the literature on the subject of stuttering theory and to act as an invaluable resource for speech-language pathologists, lecturers and advanced students of speech and language pathology.

Despite decades of research into the nature and treatment of stuttering, the causes and underlying mechanisms of it are still not well understood. In this unique and comprehensive overview of the numerous theories and models which seek to understand and explain stuttering, the authors of Theoretical Issues in Stuttering provide an invaluable account. Covering an impressive range of topics including past and current theories of stuttering, this edition provides the reader with an updated evaluation of the literature on the subject of stuttering alongside exploring the evolution of new theories. Placing each within the relevant historical context, the authors explore the contribution of theory to both understanding and managing stuttering. Theoretical Issues in Stuttering is a critical account of the models and theories which surround the subject of stuttering, aiming to act as a key resource for students of speech-language pathology as well as lecturers, clinicians and researchers within the field.

This book covers an impressive range of topics including a description of both past and current theories of stuttering, evaluation of the explanatory power of such models, and the evidence put forward to support them.

This book is a comprehensive guide to the evidence, theories, and practical issues associated with recovery from stuttering in early childhood and into adolescence. It examines evidence that stuttering is associated with a range of biological factors — such as genetics — and psychological factors — such as anxiety — and it critically assesses theoretical accounts that attempt to integrate these findings. Written so that it can be used flexibly to meet the demands of courses about stuttering, the book may be used as a text at the undergraduate or graduate level in psychology or speech-language science.

*HA18, Stuttering Therapy: An Integrated Approach to Theory and Practice, Richard Culatta(Appalachain State University), Stanley Goldberg(San Francisco State University), U1647-9, 480 pp., 7 1/4 x 9 1/4, 0-023-26311-3, casebound, 1995, $39.00nk, October*/This book provides a comprehensive look at defining, measuring, and treating stuttering. It discusses basic concepts on which therapy is based and examines the process of diagnosis. The main portion of the book is devoted to therapy. Intervention programs are summarized and compared through the use of a unique methodology that clearly identifies attitudes and behaviors to be treated.

Malcolm Fraser knew from personal experience what the person who stutters is up against. His introduction to stuttering corrective procedures first came at the age of fifteen under the direction of Frederick Martin, M.D., who at that time was Superintendent of Speech Correction for the New York City schools. A few years later, he worked with J. Stanley Smith, L.L.D., a stutterer and philanthropist, who, for altruistic reasons, founded the Kingsley Clubs in Philadelphia and New York that were named after the English author, Charles Kingsley, who also stuttered. The Kingsley Clubs were small groups of adult stutterers who met one night a week to try out treatment ideas then in effect. In fact, they were actually practicing group therapy as they talked about their experiences and exchanged ideas. This exchange gave each of the members a better understanding of the problem. The founder often led the discussions at both clubs. In 1928 Malcolm Fraser joined his older brother Carlyle who founded the NAPA-Genuine Parts Company that year in Atlanta, Georgia. He became an important leader in the company and was particularly outstanding in training others for leadership roles. In 1947, with a successful career under way, he founded the Stuttering Foundation of America. In subsequent years, he added generously to the endowment so that at the present time, endowment income covers over fifty percent of the operating budget. In 1984, Malcolm Fraser received the fourth annual National Council on Communicative Disorders' Distinguished Service Award. The NCCD, a council of 32 national organizations, recognized the Foundation's efforts in "adding to stutterers', parents', clinicians', and the public's awareness and ability to deal constructively with stuttering." Book jacket.