Julia S. Kerrigan , Shelley B. Brundage , Christopher D. Constantino , Derek E. Daniels , Naomi H. Rodgers
{"title":"A discussion of topics related to teaching a graduate stuttering course","authors":"Julia S. Kerrigan , Shelley B. Brundage , Christopher D. Constantino , Derek E. Daniels , Naomi H. Rodgers","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To discuss instruction of graduate stuttering courses with a particular focus on contemporary issues such as the pseudostuttering, counting stuttering, and engaging with materials within the classroom and in clinical practice.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>At a panel discussion at the World Stuttering and Cluttering Organization Congress in May 2024, attendees submitted their questions to a panel of experts in stuttering pedagogy. To document and continue the discussion, each expert responded in turn to the most frequently asked questions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>While the included experts frame key learning activities differently within their respective courses, each takes care to center lived experiences of people who stutter and contextualize learning activities within their clinical purposes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The pedagogical insights shared in this discussion offer guidance to instructors of stuttering courses to equip students with tools to assess, treat, and counsel their clients who stutter from a humanistic approach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106103"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143372912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Farzan Irani , Michael Azios , Michael Boyle , Geoffrey A. Coalson , Scott Palasik , Jack Rodriguez , Eric Swartz
{"title":"Reimagining stuttering therapy and outcomes through an acceptance and collaborative lens","authors":"Farzan Irani , Michael Azios , Michael Boyle , Geoffrey A. Coalson , Scott Palasik , Jack Rodriguez , Eric Swartz","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of this paper is to summarize a panel discussion at the 2024 World Stuttering and Cluttering Organization Congress that aimed to explore and reflect on the shifting landscape of stuttering therapy across the lifespan. The panel comprised of speech-language pathologists who have experience in stuttering therapy as clients, professionals, and researchers. The panel members reflect on the research, their professional experiences, and their own personal journey toward a more acceptance-based therapy and its outcomes. The paper concludes with the panel’s reflections on the future of stuttering therapy across the lifespan.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stuttering as an act of love","authors":"Christopher Dominick Constantino","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>For us to love each other we must first know each other. We come to know each other through communication, the purpose of which is communion. Traditionally, we think of stuttering as impairing this communion. Stuttering prevents us from sharing ourselves with others by distorting our message and increasing the effort it takes for us to speak. This need not be the case. Our stuttering is as much a part of us as any other attribute. For others to know us deeply, they must also know our stuttering. Likewise, for us to know others, we must know how they react to us – all of us – including our stuttering. In this paper, I propose that by stuttering openly and sincerely we share more of ourselves with others and, therefore, enter a deeper communion than would be possible if we hid our disfluencies. Stuttering introduces vulnerability into our conversations that would be absent had we been fluent. This vulnerability, when reciprocated, allows for intimacy. Research demonstrates that our stuttering impacts us less negatively when we are more open and speak with more spontaneity. By embracing our stutters, we not only lessen the negative impact of stuttering, but we also increase our ability to know, and therefore, love each other.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106104"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143076063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The application of non-invasive neuromodulation in stuttering: Current status and future directions","authors":"Mehdi Bakhtiar , Karim Johari","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Non-invasive neuromodulation methods such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), have been extensively utilized to enhance treatment efficacy for various neurogenic communicative disorders. Recently, these methods have gained attention for their potential to reveal more about the underlying nature of stuttering and serve as adjunct therapeutic approaches for stuttering intervention. In this review, we present existing research and discuss critical factors that might influence the efficacy of these interventions, such as location, polarity, intensity, and duration of stimulation, as well as the impact of combined behavioral training. Additionally, we explore implications for future studies, including the application of different neuromodulation methods to address various aspects of stuttering such as speech fluency and associated psychological and cognitive aspects in people who stutter.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106100"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143069136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Administering the Lidcombe Program to children who stutter with concomitant disorders: Insights from an exploratory retrospective chart review study","authors":"Sébastien Finlay , Pascaline Kengne Talla , Maïlie Fortin , Julie Braën , Laurie Levesque , Ingrid Verduyckt","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Children who stutter (CWS) in clinical settings may present with concomitant disorders (CDs), which can complexify the delivery of the Lidcombe Program (LP). However, there is limited evidence on how CDs influence treatment outcomes in CWS, leaving clinicians with little guidance regarding best practices with these children. This exploratory study, conducted in partnership with a rehabilitation center's clinical team, aims to understand which CDs and suspected CDs speech-language pathologists document when treating CWS with the LP and their relationship to treatment characteristics and outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A retrospective chart review was conducted on 47 children diagnosed with developmental stuttering who received the LP between 2016 and 2018.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>38 CWS (80.9 %) had either at least one confirmed (59.6 %) or suspected (21.3 %) CD, of which 61.7 % were language-related and 27.6 % attention-related. CWS with diagnosed and suspected CDs had significantly higher stuttering severity rating (SR) scores post-treatment as compared to CWS without CDs (<em>p =</em>.001), although all groups significantly reduced their stuttering. There were high drop-out rates in all groups. CWS with diagnosed and suspected CDs who dropped out had significantly higher SR scores than CWS without CDs who progressed to Stage 2 (<em>p =</em>.011 and <em>p =</em>.014, respectively).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The LP is effective in improving fluency in both CWS with and without CDs. However, CWS with diagnosed or suspected CDs finished or dropped out of Stage 1 with significantly higher SR scores than CWS without CDs. Future research is needed to confirm these results and investigate the factors underlying the observed differences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106101"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143069135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jóhanna T. Einarsdóttir , Thorlakur Karlsson , Íris Ösp Bergþórsdóttir , Kirstín Lára Halldórsdóttir , Kathryn Crowe
{"title":"A pilot study of stuttering treatment for older children (STOC)","authors":"Jóhanna T. Einarsdóttir , Thorlakur Karlsson , Íris Ösp Bergþórsdóttir , Kirstín Lára Halldórsdóttir , Kathryn Crowe","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This pilot study explored an operant treatment for school-age children, Stuttering Treatment for Older Children (STOC), in increasing quality of life and the fluency of school-aged children who stutter.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>The participants were seven children 9–13 years old. A single-case experimental design using multiple baselines was utilized, with participants randomly assigned to baselines of different lengths. STOC is a home-based treatment program that combined time-out with a specific performance-based criteria. Recordings of children’s speech were collected routinely as monthly samples (n = 653) and during treatment sessions (n = 1551). Clinicians immediately reviewed and provided feedback on recordings of sessions. Fidelity was measured in terms of dosage, adherence, quality of the delivery, and responsiveness.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>For all participants, the STOC intervention showed promising results. Participant-reported quality of life significantly increased for those participants who completed the STOC program. The frequency of stuttering (percentage of syllables stuttered) decreased by an average of 72 % between the initial baseline measurement and later stages. Additionally, the quantity of speech increased by 18 %, speech sounded more natural, with naturalness scores increased by 50 %, and the severity of stuttering decreased by 56 %. Only four participants finished the intervention. This suggests that the benefits of the intervention include both overall greater well-being and less disfluencies.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This pilot study showed increased speech fluency and quality of life among participants who completed the intervention. However, further investigation is crucial, and we encourage the academic community to engage in this research area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106102"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143076061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reliability and validity of the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs scale for Persian-speaking adults who stutter (UTBAS-P): A cross-cultural examination of social anxiety in people who stutter","authors":"Sima Farpour , Bijan Shafie , Ross Menzies , Hamid Karimi","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and Aim</h3><div>An increasing body of research indicates that many adults who stutter (AWS) experience anxiety in social and verbal situations. The Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs about Stuttering (UTBAS) scales were developed to assess speech-related anxiety and negative cognitions associated with stuttering. This study aimed to translate the UTBAS into Persian, investigate its psychometric properties for Persian-speaking AWS, and compare the results with previously published UTBAS scores across various cultures.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>The UTBAS scales were translated into Persian according to the protocols of the International Quality of Life Assessment Project and the World Health Organization. Sixty-two adults with developmental stuttering, aged between 18 and 51 years, participated in this study. The psychometric properties of UTBAS-P were investigated using similar measures to those used in previous studies where valid and reliable versions were available. Additionally, UTBAS-P scores were compared to UTBAS scores previously reported for Australian, Japanese, and Turkish participants.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results showed that UTBAS-P had an acceptable face, content, and construct validity. It was significantly correlated with other anxiety-related measures. Additionally, its low and negative correlations with unrelated constructs, such as the NEO-PI-R domains of openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, confirmed its divergent validity. Regarding reliability, the significant test-retest reliability score (Pearson r = 0.87, p < 0.001) confirmed the stability of UTBAS-P scores over time, and its internal consistency was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha of 0.99. Similarities and differences were found between participants' UTBAS scores across different cultures.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>All four currently translated versions of the UTBAS have demonstrated high levels of validity and reliability, showing strong correlations with well-known anxiety measures. These findings suggest that the UTBAS has potential for use both clinically and in cross-cultural studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106099"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143014793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Time to talk about stuttering: A cross-sectional study about the beliefs and attitude of adolescents toward stuttering","authors":"S. Van Eerdenbrugh , M. Aerts , R. Sevenants","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2024.106098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2024.106098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study investigated the attitude of Belgian (Flemish) high school students of 15 years and older toward stuttering, compared them with international samples and evaluated the impact of an attitude program about stuttering.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Nine schools participated in this study. The students completed the POSHA-S before and after the program. The program consisted of a class discussion guided by a PowerPoint presentation about six stuttering-related topics and the song Time To Talk, written for this project by Portland. The first questionnaire was filled out by N = 582. For N = 229, answers from pre- and post-intervention could be matched.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In general, female adolescents had a more positive attitude toward people who stutter, as did students from the highest education level. Catholic and atheist adolescents differed from Islamic adolescents, as well as adolescents who were born in Belgium from those who were born in another country, for one construct (cause of stuttering). The scores of the Belgian sample showed a similar variability as those of the other European samples and the POSHA-S database. A statistically significant attitude change was observed after the attitude program for helping people who stutter (<em>Pre M</em> = 37.35 versus <em>Post M</em> = 47.59, <em>p</em> < .001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Mainly the variables sex and type of education explain observed attitude differences among the adolescents. Adding music to an attitude program about stuttering seems a viable way to increase better insight in how to help people who stutter in adolescents aged 15 and older.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106098"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142899625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A scoping review of speech-language pathologists’ experiences, practices, attitudes and perspectives of working with people who stutter","authors":"Kate Bridgman, Shane Erickson","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2024.106097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2024.106097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and purpose</h3><div>Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can play an integral role working with people who stutter (PWS) across the lifespan. There is a rich, yet relatively recent, history of research capturing specific aspects of the role, yet no paper has sought to combine the published literature relating to it. This review is intended to: (1) establish key themes related to SLPs’ experiences, practices and attitudes of working with PWS; (2) determine how these may have changed over time; and (3) identify what gaps in the knowledge about this topic still exist.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A scoping review was conducted to synthesise all relevant peer-reviewed literature. Studies were included if they met the following inclusion criteria: a) reported on primary research; b) published in a peer-reviewed journal; c) written in English, and, d) reported on SLPs working with people who stutter.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 897 articles were identified and reviewed, with 27 included in the final analysis. Content analysis of the study results revealed themes relating to SLP factors, SLP attitudes, clinical management and service delivery.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>While much has been published on this topic, and considerable change has been observed over time, there is still much to learn. Future investigations may include more in-depth exploration of SLPs’ lived experience working with PWS and a systematic approach to increase SLP competency and confidence in working with PWS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 106097"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142792544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaofan Lei , Viann N. Nguyen-Feng , Jayanthi Sasisekaran
{"title":"Stuttering severity and social anxiety among adults who stutter: A multilevel analysis","authors":"Xiaofan Lei , Viann N. Nguyen-Feng , Jayanthi Sasisekaran","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2024.106088","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2024.106088","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The purpose of this study is to further investigate the association between social anxiety and stuttering severity among adults who stutter (AWS) at both the between- and within-person levels of analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Sixty-two AWS (women = 27, men = 35; M<sub>age</sub> = 39.5 years, SD<sub>age</sub> = 14.8) first completed a questionnaire (e.g., trait social anxiety and personality traits) and provided two speech samples (i.e., conversation, reading). Then, participants enrolled in up to 21 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to self-report their momentary stuttering severity, social anxiety, and avoidance behaviors during social interactions. Correlational analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on between-person level measures. Multilevel mediation analysis was conducted on EMA data to disaggregate between- and within-person processes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>At the between-person level, percent syllables stuttered (%SS) and person mean Self-Reported Stuttering Severity (iSRSS) were both significantly correlated with trait social anxiety, but not above and beyond the effects of neuroticism, extraversion, the overall impact of stuttering, and avoidance behaviors. At the within-person level, when AWS self-reported to stutter more than they usually do on average, they also tended to exhibit higher levels of social anxiety than they usually did, regardless of the amount of avoidance behaviors exhibited at those moments. The within-person effect between stuttering severity and social anxiety was also significantly mediated by avoidance behaviors.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The associations between social anxiety and stuttering differed based on the analysis level (between vs within-person) and whether covariates are included.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 106088"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142586528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}