The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of phonological neighborhood density on the speech reaction time (SRT) and errors of children who do and do not stutter during a picture-naming task. Participants were nine 3-5-year-old children who stutter (CWS) matched in age and gender to nine children who do not stutter (CWNS). Initial…

In light of emerging findings concerning untreated recovery and neural plasticity, this paper re-examines the viability of an NIH conference recommendation [Cooper, J. A. (1990). Research directions in stuttering: Consensus and conflict. In Cooper, J. A. (Ed.), "Research needs in stuttering: Roadblocks and future directions" (pp. 98-100).…

Neuroimaging studies have indicated that persistent developmental stuttering (PDS) may be associated both with an abnormality in white matter of left-hemispheric speech areas and a right-hemispheric hyperactivity. The latter may compensate for the deficient structural connectivity in the left hemisphere. To investigate the effects of stuttering…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether standard pharmaco-economic preference methods can be used to assess perceived quality of life in stuttering. Method: Seventy-five nonstuttering adults completed a standardized face-to-face interview that included a rating scale, standard gamble, and time trade-off preference measures for…

This is a review of the contingency management literature and current related treatment programs for stuttering in childhood: the Lidcombe Program, Gradual Increase in Length and Complexity of Utterance (GILCU), and Prolongation (PS). Treatment efficacy research has shown these treatments to be effective and efficient for children, but there…

Provided is a program of behavioral objectives for use with speech handicapped preschool and elementary level children in the areas of articulation disorders, language disorders, stuttering, tongue thrust, and voice. Communication disorders are defined as substandard behaviors which interfere with the student's ability to perform acceptably for…

Fifteen stutterers (aged 5-16) were treated using graded airflow, tension/relaxation, and electromyographic biofeedback to reduce stuttering frequency. In a second study, addition of a discriminative stimulus control procedure to maintain fluency made the treatment program more effective than the first study and achieved a level of <1% stuttered…

This volume of an annual collection presents 13 essays relating to instruction in the basic communication course. Six of the essays are on the theme of cultural diversity in the basic course. The essays are: "The Differential Impact of a Basic Public Speaking Course on Perceived Communication Competencies in Class, Work, and Social…

Ten factors that school clinicians should consider in determining treatment of children who stutter include, among others, increasing clinicians' confidence in treating stuttering, setting long-term and short-term goals, involving parents and teachers in treatment, and determining when the child is ready to be dismissed from treatment. (SW)

Examines causes and types of stuttering and its emotional and social aspects. Suggestions for helping students overcome stuttering involve (1) giving children undivided attention when speaking to them; (2) providing a relaxed atmosphere; (3) encouraging polite speaking manners; (4) sensitizing all children to stuttering; and (5) providing…

This study of 20 stuttering and 20 nonstuttering preschool children found that stuttering children scored lower on 7 out of 8 language measures, with no significant intergroup differences on articulation proficiency or fluency. There were few significant correlations between measures of stuttering rate, speaking rate, and language performance…

Ten preschool subjects exhibiting more disfluencies than 50 other subjects with language disorders were found to be older and score higher on vocabulary. Findings suggest some children with language disorders are at risk for fluency breakdown because of dysynchronies in development of lexical and syntactic aspects of language or as a result of…