Research and clinical data regarding concomitant speech and language problems in children who stutter are reviewed, along with theoretical models explaining this interrelationship. A framework is presented for the differential evaluation of children who stutter, involving four areas of assessment: case history, fluency assessment, language skills…

Pragmatics, the use of language in context, has been investigated only recently in the language used by children who stutter (CWS). Historically, researchers compared the length and complexity of the syntactic constructions produced by these children with those of children who do not stutter (CWNS) and generally found the CWS to be relatively…

This is one of few professional books that addresses the subject of stuttering in young children. This is surprising considering that most cases of stuttering begin in the preschool years and that the prevalence of the disorder in very young children is higher than in any other age group. This excellent and informative text is written for…

The conversations of 12 preschool stutterers with their mother, father, and a familiar peer were analyzed. Subjects' verbal interactive patterns did not really differ with various partners. Although some children were variable in fluency failures with different partners, the partner's verbal contribution was not associated with predictable changes…

Several experiments that manipulate stuttering by the use of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) and the prolongation of speech are reported. In a study on six severe stutterers (aged 15 to 47), self monitoring as a source of reinforcement in the use of DAF reduced stuttering frequency. Stuttering frequency was investigated with six severe stutterers…

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…

This article describes a cognitive-behavioral treatment package for relapse management in adolescents who stutter. The package includes game-based training techniques in problem solving, communication skills, and assertiveness; coping responses for stuttering episodes; and realistic expectations for fluency and relapse. Follow-up results with…

There is a relatively strong focus in the stuttering literature on the desirability of selected alterations in parental speech and language style in the management of early stuttering. In this article, the existing research support for such recommendations is evaluated, together with relevant research from the normal language acquisition…

This commentary reviews the articles in this special issue focusing on treatment of preschool and school-aged students with fluency disorders. The commentary addresses therapy and counseling models, the importance of attending to attitudes among children and parents, service delivery models for school programs, transfer of training, and recent…

A national survey of school-based speech-language pathologists (N=278) showed some improvement over previous surveys in clinicians' training, confidence, and attitudes about providing assessment and intervention services to school-age children who stutter. Other findings indicated a lower success rate with adolescents and a lack of training in…

The Lidcombe Program is an operant treatment for early stuttering. Outcomes indicate that the program is effective; however, the underlying mechanisms leading to a successful reduction of stuttering remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether fluency achieved with the Lidcombe Program was accompanied by concomitant reduction…

This study of 20 mothers and their fluent children (ages 3-5) found no significant differences between the effects of instructions to slow maternal speech rate and instructions to slow and simplify maternal speech. Children's speech rate and language complexity did not parallel maternal adjustments, which is problematic for parental involvement in…

With the increasing number of Spanish-English bilingual children in the U.S., both SLPs and researchers must understand speech and language developments in these children--and SLPs also need reliable assessment and intervention approaches for serving bilingual children with language disorders. This comprehensive text is one of the few to offer…