Purpose: Disfluency clusters in preschool children were analyzed to determine whether they occurred at rates above chance, whether they changed over time, and whether they could differentiate children who would later persist in, or recover from, stuttering. Method: Thirty-two children recruited near stuttering onset were grouped on the basis of…

Purpose: In this study, the authors sought to determine the prevalence of stuttering in African American (AA) 2- to 5-year-olds as compared with same-age European Americans (EAs). Method: A total of 3,164 children participated: 2,223 AAs and 941 EAs. Data were collected using a 3-pronged approach that included investigators' individual…

Preschool children (n=27) were followed for 2 to 12 years after stuttering onset. Findings indicated a marked deceleration in the mean frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies. Most of the reduction took place early, especially near the end of the first year postonset. Chronic and recovering stutterers could be distinguished by 20 months…

Interviews with parents of 87 preschool children within a year of a stuttering diagnosis found that onset tended to occur earlier than was previously thought and was sudden and/or severe in many cases; about twice as many boys as girls stuttered; and there was a positive relationship between severe stuttering and sudden onset. (DB)

A four-year study of 84 preschool children (25 to 59 months) who stutter found a continuous diminution in the frequency and severity of stuttering over time as many children progressed toward recovery. Findings indicate a 74% overall recovery rate for stuttering and a 26% persistency rate. (CR)