Post-treatment Stuttering Severity under Different Assessment Conditions

Outcome evaluation for the behavioural treatments for adults who stutter is problematic due to the variability of stuttering in different situations. This study investigated the effects of method of assessment (overt or covert), assessment context (within-clinic or beyond-clinic), and speaking situation (phone or conversation) on stuttering severity post-treatment in 12 adults who stutter, using a repeated measures design. Results demonstrated that there was a significant difference between phone and conversation speaking situations. No significant differences were found between overt and covert assessment nor between within-clinic and beyond-clinic assessment. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to treatment outcome evaluation and the planning and conducting of treatment programs.