NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES OF STUTTERING INTERVENTION

Course overview

Classic stuttering theories are reviewed in the context of how those concepts can be still be useful in experimenting with or describing stuttering to clients of all ages. Recent research in genetic, neurological, and motor bases of stuttering are discussed in order to provide clinicians with a solid foundation on which to evaluate research and select intervention approaches or programs. Methods for data collection and tracking are discussed so clinicians can maintain practice-based evidence when striving to represent themselves as 'evidence-based practitioners'. Stuttering behaviors and intervention strategies are discussed and demonstrated to provide clinicians with a coordinated, accurate, and useful set of fluency terms. Intervention approaches are discussed to help clinicians understand the polar philosophical ends of therapy in order to better understand what it means to be a clinician that provides an 'integrated approach' to stuttering intervention. Within the discussion of using 'integrated intervention approaches', the utility and limitations of using altered auditory feedback devices during treatment are briefly discussed. Stages of intervention are summarized and corresponding activities are presented to demonstrate how clinicians can guide clients through the first few weeks and months of therapy. This seminar serves to provide an overview of recent research, current intervention approaches, methods for evaluating existing therapy programs, and functional definitions, activities, and examples to assist clinicians in getting started with (or remembering how to serve) clients who stutter. Objective Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to: Provide a current definition of stuttering Identify at least one classic stuttering theory and describe how the information might be incorporated into therapy education with clients Summarize recent research in the genetic, neurological, and motor bases of stuttering Identify the two ends of the intervention spectrum and provide distinguishing characteristics across intervention domains Describe methods/tools/procedures that might be found in an 'integrated approach to stuttering intervention Discuss the utility and limitations of using altered auditory feedback devices for stuttering treatment Identify at least three stages of intervention Describe actual activities that can be used in the first weeks/months of intervention to support progress through intervention stages Define primary and secondary stuttering behaviors and provide examples of each Discuss how your measurement tools and resulting data support evidence-based practice Discuss the role of theory and research in evaluating and selecting treatment approaches or programs