Online indirect group treatment for preschool children who stutter—Effects on stuttering severity and the impact of stuttering on child and parents

Background

Stuttering development in preschool children might be influenced by parents' concern, awareness and knowledge. Indirect treatment may therefore be appropriate. Intervention in a group format has been shown to be positive for stuttering and an online procedure increases the accessibility of the intervention.

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate whether an online indirect group treatment for children who stutter could increase parents’ knowledge and confidence in managing the stuttering, reduce the impact of stuttering on the child and parents as well as reduce stuttering severity.

Methods and Procedures

All children having an ongoing contact with a speech-language pathologist at the included clinics and meeting the inclusion criteria were invited to participate in the study. The participants were five families with children, aged 3:7–4:5, who had been stuttering for at least 12 months. Treatment consisted of six weekly online group sessions for parents, followed by 15 weeks of home consolidation. A single-subject research design replicated across participants was used to investigate changes over baseline, treatment and consolidation phase. The outcome measures were Palin Parent Rating Scales and severity ratings of stuttering reported by parents. Mean values of each week's daily parent ratings of stuttering were used and converted to defined scale steps. Changes in all variables were visually analysed for each participant. Scale steps representing the mean values from baseline measurements were compared with those from the consolidation phase to analyse changes in scale steps (clinical relevance).

Outcome and Results

The findings indicate increased parents’ knowledge about stuttering and confidence in how to support their child, as well as a positive trend in the impact of stuttering on child and parents, and stuttering severity, during the intervention. The size of the changes in the included outcome measures (e.g., from low to high or very high) varied between participants. The changes were clinically relevant in one to three, out of four, outcome measures for each child, also for those at risk of persistent stuttering.

Conclusions and Implications

The online group format can be an effective way to increase parents’ ability to handle the child's stuttering at an early stage. Further studies are needed to ensure what treatment effects can be expected, following this indirect online format.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

What is already known on the subject

• Indirect therapy involving parents has been shown to benefit preschool children who stutter. These therapies typically include providing information about stuttering, teaching strategies for managing stuttering and improving overall communication skills.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge

• This study evaluates a novel form of online group therapy (involving five families) which has not been previously studied. The results demonstrate that most of the parents gain knowledge and confidence in managing their child's speech disorder. Additionally, some parents report a reduced negative impact of stuttering on both the child and the family after the treatment.

What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?

• This approach can be a valuable tool for speech and language therapists working with preschool children who stutter. The online format offers a practical option for families who face challenges attending in-person sessions, while also providing opportunities to connect with other parents in similar situations.