Speech analysis of 10 two- to three-year-olds diagnosed by parents as having begun stuttering and 10 matched normally speaking children indicated that stutterers were three times more disfluent than nonstutterers. Part-word repetitions and sound prolongations were found to distinguish the two groups significantly. (Author/CL)

The author responds to criticism of her research on token reinforcement in stuttering by reviewing methodological issues as well as concerns related to the token systems. (CL)

Simple reaction times of 13 stuttering and 13 nonstuttering children (8-12 years old) matched for age, sex, and handedness were compared in experimental conditions requiring button-pressing responses and nonspeech and speech-like responses. Results of the forefinger data suggested that stuttering is not related to an organically based overall…

Self-contained ear-level devices delivering altered auditory feedback (AAF) for the application with those who stutter have only been recently developed. The paper examines the first therapeutic application of self-contained ear-level devices in three experiments. The effect of the device on the proportion of stuttered syllables and speech…

Purpose: This study assessed the psychometric properties of instruments used to measure constructs similar to stuttering-specific health-related quality of life. In the stuttering literature, most such instruments were originally intended to measure speakers' attitudes about, or reactions to, their stuttering. Method: Seventeen instruments were…

Purpose: The contribution of genetic factors in the persistence of and early recovery from stuttering was assessed. Method: Data from the Twins Early Development Study were employed. Parental reports regarding stuttering were collected at ages 2, 3, 4, and 7 years, and were used to classify speakers into recovered and persistent groups. Of 12,892…

In this article, the author explains why City Lit's work with adults who stammer has won recognition and why the adult education setting is ideally suited for the work. Stammering is a complex disorder that is often misunderstood by the general public. Its impact is frequently underestimated. Stammering can have a profound effect on people's…

Background: Bloodstein reviewed hundreds of studies that investigated the efficacy of therapeutic protocols for ameliorating the stuttering syndrome. Surprisingly, almost all were effective in significantly reducing overtly perceptible behaviours such as repetitions and prolongations of speech sounds. These results seem highly improbable…

Background: There will always be a place for stuttering treatments designed to eliminate or reduce stuttered speech. When those treatments are required, direct speech measures of treatment process and outcome are needed in clinical practice. Aims: Based on the contents of published clinical trials of such treatments, three "core" measures of…

This paper describes a new instrument for evaluating the experience of the stuttering disorder from the perspective of individuals who stutter. Based on the World Health Organization's "International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health" [World Health Organization (2001). "The International Classification of Functioning,…

Several authors have suggested that devices delivering altered auditory feedback (AAF) may be a viable treatment for adults and children who stutter. This paper reviews published, peer reviewed journal papers from the past 10 years that investigate the effect of AAF during different speaking conditions, tasks and situations. A review of that…

The purpose of this study was to explore whether stuttering severity or therapy involvement had an effect on the attitudes that individuals who do not stutter reported towards people who stutter (PWS). Two hundred and sixty (260) university students participated in this study. Direct survey procedures consisting of a 25-item semantic differential…

Two studies illustrate the utility of listener ratings of speech naturalness for measuring and modifying speech naturalness during stuttering therapy. The program involved five adolescent stutterers receiving an intensive treatment incorporating a prolonged speech procedure. Results showed that speech naturalness ratings could be modified toward a…

Results of a study involving 76 stutterers and 76 nonstutterers (seven to 15 years old) included (1) a right- ear preference for both groups; (2) differences in dichotic stuttering and nonstuttering Ss; and (3) a relationship between stuttering severity and hemispheric dominance dependency on manner of data analysis. (Author/CL)