Effective Treatment for School-Age Children Who Stutter: An Advanced course

Overview

Stuttering in school-age children can be one of the more challenging disorders for speech-language pathologists to treat. Many clinicians have wondered about the best way to help children who stutter improve their speech and their communication.

Common questions include:

Which therapy approach is most effective?

How do I help a school-age child who stutters get the most out of therapy?

What if stuttering does not have an “adverse impact” on the child?

What goals should I write on my IEPs? How do I document progress in therapy?

When should I dismiss a child from therapy? What if he is still stuttering?

What if I can get the child fluent in the therapy room, but not in the classroom?

How do I get parents involved in therapy? What if they won’t participate?

What if the child does not want to be in therapy?

What do I do if the child is being bullied or teased about his speech?

What about electronic fluency devices and medications? bilingual children and second-language learners? concomitant communication disorders?

This workshop will help clinicians answer these and other difficult questions so they will be able to provide the most effective treatment for the children on their caseloads.

The workshop begins with an overview of key concepts in stuttering therapy, including specific techniques for helping children to improve their speech fluency and overall communication. The presenter will then provide specific examples of treatment goals, strategies, and therapy activities that can be adapted for clinicians working in a variety of settings. Videotape examples of treatment will be used to reinforce treatment techniques, and challenging situations, such as generalization to classroom settings and involving parents, will be discussed in detail. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about specific children on their caseloads.

Participants will come away from the workshop with a better understanding of the nature of stuttering and increased confidence in their ability to help children who stutter overcome the burden of this challenging disorder.

Sample Outline / Timed Agenda

(Full-day program shown. All seminars can be adapted to a variety of schedules.)

8:30 - 9:00 Stuttering: What We Should Have Learned in Graduate School

9:00 - 10:00 Helping Children Speak More Fluently

10:00 - 10:15 break

10:15 - 10:45 Video Examples and Technique Practice

10:45 - 11:45 Helping Children Communicate More Effectively

11:45 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 Working with Families and Teachers

2:00 - 2:30 More Video Examples and Technique Practice

2:30 - 2:45 break

2:45 - 3:30 Special Topics: Second-Language Learners, Devices, and more

3:30 - 4:00 Questions & Answers / Case Examples

Learning Objectives

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

Design efficient and effective diagnostic evaluations of school-age children who stutter

Select appropriate treatment strategies for helping children who stutter speak more easily and communicate more effectively

Write meaningful, objective treatment goals and benchmarks and document progress in treatment

Help children overcome their emotional and cognitive reactions to stuttering

Effectively involve families, teachers, and others in the child’s treatment plan

Address adverse situations such as bullying and teasing, low motivation in treatment, and uncooperative parents and teachers

For More Information

To schedule this seminar or to find out how this program can be adapted for your organization, contact Dr. Yaruss at seminars@yaruss.com.

Note: This workshop has previously been titled "Mastering clinical skills for enhancing fluency and communication in school-age children who stutter."