What Are Predictors for Persistence in Childhood Stuttering?
Bridget Walsh, Evan Usler, Anna Bostian and 5 others
PMID 30142641WHAT IT FOUND
At age 4 to 5, boys with family history, poor nonword repetition, a weighted disfluency score of 10 or more, and negative speech attitudes are more likely to keep stuttering.
No single factor decides risk.
Key findings
01When children entered at age 4 to 5, lower scores on consonant inventory and nonword repetition predicted later persistence, while receptive language, expressive language, and verbal working memory did not separate recovered from persisting children.
02A weighted stuttering-like disfluency score of 10 or more at age 4 to 5 was suggested as a risk indicator for persistence.
03Persistence was more likely in boys and in children with a first- or second-degree relative with persistent stuttering: 42% of boys recovered versus 69% of girls, and 53% of persisting children had family history versus 14% of recovered children.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review, and it mainly presents findings from the authors' own project. The review covers many different samples and methods, so the evidence is not from one study with one clear primary outcome. Some studies had small groups, incomplete datasets, or cross-sectional designs, so they show group differences rather than proof that a measure predicts persistence for every child. Many physiological measures are laboratory methods, not tools that most clinics can use now. Group differences overlap, so individual children may not fit the average pattern. The proposed risk list is categorical and unweighted, and the multivariate formula is not provided.
Declared interests
The supplied metadata lists Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural. The article text does not include a conflict-of-interest or funding declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read a weighted disfluency score of 10 or more as proof that a child will keep stuttering. It is a risk indicator from group data, and the paper says persistent stuttering is not linked to a single profile.