Defining Clinically Significant Changes in the Treatment of Child Stutterers

Abstract

This study established a clinically significant criterion to evaluate outcomes of children's stuttering therapy. 30 stutterers, ages 6 to 15 years, and 30 nonstutterers served as subjects. Speech samples were recorded and the percentage of stuttered syllables and rate of speech analyzed. According to Jacobson and Revenstorf's procedure, 3% of stuttered syllables and 160 syllables per minute should become the target behaviors in the treatment of children's stuttering.

References

Bernstein

N. E.

(1981) Are there constraints on childhood disfluency? Journal of Fluency Disorders, 6, 341–350.

Caron

Ladouceur

(1989) Multidimensional behavioral treatment for child stutterers. Behavior Modification, 13, 206–215.

Costello

(1983) Current behavioral treatment for children. In Prins

Ingham

(Eds.), Treatment of stuttering in early childhood. San Diego, CA: College-Hill Press. Pp. 69–112.

Culp

D. A.

(1984) The preschool fluency development program: Assessment and treatment. In Peins

(Ed.), Contemporary approaches in stuttering therapy. Boston, MA: Little Brown. Pp. 39–69.

Dugas

Ladouceur

(1988) Traitement multidimensionnel et progressif des bègues sévères. Science et Comportement, 18, 221–232.

Hollon

S. D.

Flick

S. N.

(1988) On the meaning methods of clinical significance. Behavioral Assessment, 10, 197–223.

Ingham

R. J.

(1979) Stuttering treatment evaluation and maintenance: A search for ecstasy with nothing but agony. Paper presented at the Banff International Conference on Maintenance of Fluency, Banff, Canada.

Jacobson

N. S.

Revenstorf

(1988) Statistics for assessing the clinical significance of psychotherapy techniques: Issues, problems, and new developments. Behavioral Assessment, 10, 133–145.

Johnson

(1955) A study of the onset and development of stuttering. In Johnson

Leutenegger

R. R.

(Eds.), Stuttering in children and adults. Minneapolis, MN: Univer. of Minnesota Press. Pp. 228–267.

10.

Ladouceur

Saint-Laurent

(1986) Stuttering: A multidimensional treatment and evaluation package. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 11, 93–103.

11.

Lutz

K. C.

Mallard

A. K.

(1986) Disfluencies and rate of speech in young adult nonstutterers. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 11, 307–316.

12.

Ryan

B. B.

(1979) Stuttering therapy in a framework of operant conditioning and program learning. In Gregory

H. H.

(Ed.), Controversies about stuttering therapy. Baltimore, MD University Park Press. Pp. 98–128.

13.

Shine

R. E.

(1984) Assessment and fluency training with the young stutterers. In Peins

(Ed.), Contemporary approaches in stuttering therapy. Boston, MA: Little Brown. Pp. 173–216.

14.

Silverman

E. M.

(1972) Generality of disfluency data collected from preschoolers. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 15, 84–92.

15.

Wall

M. J.

Starkweather

C. W.

Harris

(1981) The influence of voicing adjustments on the location of stuttering in the spontaneous speech of young child stutterers. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 6, 299–310.

16.

Webster

R. L.

(1979) Empirical considerations regarding stuttering therapy. In Gregory

H. H.

(Ed.), Controversies about stuttering therapy. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press. Pp. 209–240.

17.

Wexler

(1982) Developmental disfluency in 2-, 4-, and 6-year-old boys in neutral and stress situations. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 25, 229–234.

18.

Wexler

K. B.

Mysak

E. D.

(1982) Disfluency characteristics of 2-, 4-, and 6-year old males. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 7, 37–46.

19.

Yairi

(1982) Disfluencies of normal two year old children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 24, 490–495.

20.

Young

M. A.

(1961) Predicting ratings of severity of stuttering. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, Monograph Supplement, 7, 31–54.