General Information on Stuttering Treatment

Effective treatment for stuttering is not available in all countries of the world. In those countries where treatment is available some treatment methodologies is more effective than others.

The treatment of young children is generally conducted by a qualified speech pathologist and involves weekly visits for the child and mother to the clinic. One of the most generally accepted, evidence based, programs used these days in many countries is called the Lidcombe Program and you can get information on that program on this website. It involves the parents being instructed in the methodology used with the child and that methodology being applied in the home situation. The Lidcombe Program and others are most effective when used on children under the age of 6.

Stuttering beyond the age of 6, becomes increasingly more difficult to address but many children have been successful in eliminating their stuttering after that age.

As the individual gets into their teens and then adulthood, more intensive and specialised treatment is required as successful treatment invariably involves some form of speech retraining that involves changes to breathing patterns before, during and after speaking as well as addressing the psychological side of stuttering. Changing the way a person thinks and speaks is not an easy task this is why a more intensive approach to stuttering treatment has a more effective outcome than weekly visits to a speech pathologist. I believe that it is true to say that most speech pathologists have a basic training in stuttering treatment and most of this involves the treatment of young children. Most speech pathologists do not have sufficient understanding and training in the treatment of adults who stutter to be of great benefit to a chronic stutterer seeking effective treatment. There are, however, many clinics that specialise in the treatment of adult stutterers and many of these are run by people who have struggled with stuttering themselves. Having said that, people seeking treatment for stuttering are advised to do some research on the treatment program being offered before committing themselves to it.

Methodologies used for the treatment of stuttering include the following: