ABSTRACT
There are many difficult issues facing speech-language pathologists who work with
school-age children who stutter; however, the challenges are not insurmountable. Effective
treatment for children who stutter is possible, even in school settings. This chapter introduces two issues of Seminars in Speech and Language aimed at helping clinicians improve their treatment of stuttering in school-age children.
The first issue addresses basic aspects of evaluation and treatment, including procedures
for assessing children's communication abilities, developing appropriate goals for
therapy, and utilizing a number of specific treatment strategies. The second issue
addresses special topics in the treatment of school-age children who stutter, including
multicultural factors, concomitant disorders, and finding and using helpful resources
to enhance treatment. Throughout the two issues, the authors will repeatedly emphasize
that clinicians can help children who stutter become more successful communicators
by drawing upon knowledge and strategies from a variety of perspectives and by taking
a broad-based, comprehensive approach to understanding and treating stuttering.
KEYWORDS
Childhood stuttering - speech therapy - fluency disorders
