Online indirect group treatment for preschool children who stutter-Effects on stuttering severity and the impact of stuttering on child and parents.
Cecilia Gembäck, Anita McAllister, Lovisa Femrell and 1 others
PMID 39977729WHAT IT FOUND
Four of five parents reported increased confidence in managing their child's stuttering after an online group program.
Three children showed reduced stuttering severity, but one worsened. Natural recovery and variability make it impossible to confirm the treatment caused these changes.
Key findings
01Four out of five parent dyads showed a clinically relevant increase in knowledge and confidence in managing their child's stuttering.
02Three out of five children showed a clinically relevant reduction in stuttering severity, while one child's severity increased.
03The variable nature of stuttering and potential spontaneous recovery prevent determining if treatment caused the observed changes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only five families, making it a case series rather than a controlled trial. There was no control group or comparison condition. Stuttering in preschoolers is highly variable and often recovers spontaneously, so changes cannot be definitively attributed to the treatment. The first author was also one of the therapists delivering the treatment and analyzing the data, which introduces potential bias. Mean scores for parent dyads were used, masking individual differences between mothers and fathers. The follow-up period was short (total study duration 6 months), so long-term effects are unknown.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reduction in stuttering severity in three children as evidence that the online group treatment causes improved fluency. Preschool stuttering often recovers on its own, and without a control group, it is impossible to separate treatment effects from natural variability or spontaneous recovery.