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…

Stuttering has the potential of being an educationally, socially, and vocationally handicapping condition. This article provides information to allow teachers to recognize stutterers and to provide an appropriate classroom environment. (MT)

This paper introduces a special issue focusing on the treatment of preschool and school-age children who stutter and discussing current intervention strategies and procedures. Summaries of the issue's articles are presented, generally contending that fluency disorders can be effectively managed using age-appropriate, individualized techniques and…

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 describes a conceptual framework for developing a multifaceted, individualized treatment program for young children who stutter, their families, and their preschool or day-care staff. Suggestions are provided for reducing environmental demands through education, affective support, and behavior change facilitation. Direct therapy…

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…

Following a literature review on speech and language development of twins, case studies are presented of six sets of identical twins screened for entrance into kindergarten. Five sets of the twins and one boy from the sixth set failed to pass the screening test, particularly the speech and language section, and were referred for therapy to correct…

Offers a brief overview of children's speech development, discussing positive attitudes toward stuttering and outlining strategies for appropriate interventions by teachers and other adults. A checklist of factors to consider in making a referral for stuttering is provided. (KS)

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…

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…