The study investigated: (1) whether the mothers of young stuttering children differ from the mothers of young normally disfluent children in their verbal interaction patterns during free play with their children; and (2) whether disfluency in young children is related systematically to the type of speech act expressed. Four preschoolers and their…

This study analyzed overlap (or interruption behavior) in conversations between mothers and their stuttering children to determine how overlap relates to fluency. Subjects for the study, which is part of the Genesis of Stuttering Project, were 20 preschool stuttering children and their mothers. Three forms of overlap were examined: simultaneous…