| Abstract: |
Purpose: The purpose of this semicontrolled prospective study was to report on the outcomes of 10 Swedish-speaking children treated with the Lidcombe Program and how the parents viewed the treatment. Method: Ten children at an age from 2: 9 to 5: 8 (years:months) referred to two clinics for communication disorders were consecutively included in the study. The children had been stuttering for 0: 9 to 3: 3 with a mean stuttering frequency of 10.1% syllables stuttered (%SS; 0.8-33.9) before treatment. Parents and teachers filled out questionnaires concerning the children's speech and the parents also answered questions on their views on the program. Results: Eight children completed the program and were reassessed upon completion of the program, about 2 years after progressing to stage 2. There was a significant decrease in mean %SS before and after treatment (7.6 vs. 0.1%, respectively) with a large Cohen effect size (d = 2.9). Parents and teachers found that the treatment had a positive effect on the children's stuttering and all parents would recommend the Lidcombe Program to other families. Conclusion: The results of this preliminary study suggest that the Lidcombe Program can be an effective treatment for Swedish-speaking preschool children who stutter. |
