Young children develop the skills necessary for communication in infancy. Interactions with family members and other caregivers nurture and support those skills. Spoken (expressive) language progresses rapidly after a child's first word. A typical 2-year-old has an expressive vocabulary of approximately 150-300 words. Around this time, as they…

The importance of including parents and teachers in the process of therapy for children who stutter is addressed, and viewing intervention along a therapy continuum incorporating both fluency-shaping and stuttering modification philosophies is recommended. Other topics presented include student attitudes and feelings, grouping and scheduling,…

This article discusses diagnostic considerations in identifying coexisting communication disorders and in differentiating between stuttering and secondary fluency disorders related to language formulation. Options for structuring therapy for coexisting problems are evaluated, including blended, lagged, and cycled approaches. Concerns implicit in…

A fluency therapy process for adolescents who stutter is described and illustrated by a case history that applies a four-stage process for structuring, targeting, adjusting, and regulating behaviors. The affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of fluency are considered, along with behavior techniques for eliciting a feeling of fluency…

Information about children who stutter is provided, including the characteristics of stutterers and techniques that preschool and elementary teachers can use in the classroom to help these students. Suggestions focus on ways to provide a good speech model, improve the child's self-esteem, and create a good speech environment. (DB)

Three approaches to speech therapy for children who stutter are proposed, reflecting differences in the type and degree of parent involvement required for different age groups. The first approach considers parent-child interaction skills as a basis for facilitating development of fluency skills in young children. Intensive group therapy programs…

A model of service delivery for elementary students who stutter is described, emphasizing the integration of fluency-shaping and stuttering modification techniques. The treatment program includes procedures for helping children to understand and identify fluency problems, techniques for teaching and integrating fluency-shaping and stuttering…

Structure and consistency are important in treating adolescents who stutter. The speech-language pathologist's positive expectations have a powerful influence on clients' attitudes and belief in the possibility of progress. A program of both cognitive and self-instruction procedures and behavioral speech treatment strategies is recommended to…