Approaches To Stuttering Therapy

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Therapy Materials

The materials on assessment and therapy for speech-language pathologists who work with people who stutter has been integrated into another resource on treatment materials, HERE

Finding a Therapy Program

"There are many false and wild claims for treatment on the internet and elsewhere." The International Stuttering Association has published an important statement when evaluating any therapy program. The purpose of the following declaration is to "improve the understanding of what to expect and how to guard against disappointment." Stuttering Therapy and the Danger of Misleading Treatment Claims; ISA Point of View prepared by Dr. Bert Bast (ISA Board of Directors and NFS Netherlands), the Chair of BVSS Germany, the CEO of BSA UK, and Chair of ELSA Europe

Therapy Programs/Approaches

There are many different approaches to therapy for persons who stutter. How to get the most out of therapy provides information from the National Stuttering Project, and includes a section by Hugo Gregory and Eugene Cooper, two internationally respected speech-language pathologists, on choosing a clinician. Other helpful suggestions are provided in How To Choose A Therapy/Therapist by Gerald F. Johnson

General information

Included in this section are links to a variety of widely-accepted approaches to stuttering therapy. It is in no way an endorsement of any particular treatment strategy. The programs in this section are run by trained and certified speech-language pathologists.

The following may be of value for some people, and are sometimes used in conjunction with various therapy approaches such as those described above.

Additional Suggestions On Managing Stuttering Behaviors

Additional Information on Stammering Therapy for Adults - from the BSA website.

Most of the following suggestions and websites have been developed by individuals who stutter. In those cases, they feel their ideas have worked for them and are shared below. The SHP makes no guarentees or endorsements, it simply provides information that others may find useful. The reader is warned that an idea may work for one individual and not for another.

Information on Efficacy of Stuttering Treatment

Does stuttering therapy work? There has been some research about that question. There has also been some personal experience with various therapy approaches. Both kinds of information are provided here for the interested reader to explore.

Some research about efficacy

Experience with Various Therapy Approaches: Some "true believers" and some "non-believers" express their opinions

Several years ago Jim McClure suggested "Gathering a few dozen anecdotes [about experiences with various therapy programs] in one place would demonstrate to newcomers that there's no all-purpose cure, and that PWS are most likely to succeed when they take charge of their recovery." If this section becomes a battle field over individual therapy programs, it will be eliminated. It will not be a place where several people line up to condemn or condone an individual or a particular therapy program. It is not a place to post personal "infomercials" about any therapy program. Only a limited number of links will be provided here. What is offered below is not an endorsement or condemnation of any particular therapy program. It is

  • evaluation of programs by professional speech-language pathologists,
  • information provided by individuals who have tried various programs and have put their own experiences on their own signed web pages
  • or it is discussion, both positive and negative, that has been extracted from public mailing lists which are archived and available for anyone to read or from information provided on other internet sites.

The reader should keep in mind that some of the discussion on individual web sites and on the mailing lists about stuttering may reflect the experience of those who still stutter, even after trying a variety of therapy programs, and may be negatively biased. Some of the discussion will reflect information from individuals who have found a particular program helpful, but it is also important to remember that what works (or doesn't work) for one individual may or may not work for another. The Stuttering Home Page is not responsible for the opinions expressed by others or for information provided on other websites.

Qualifying and Paying for Therapy Services

This section is designed to provide some direction in helping consumers and professionals find information for both qualifying and funding services.

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