Work

A professional perspective on EBP in stuttering: How far have we come in 20 years?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article reviews a critique by Bernstein Ratner (2005) to identify progress made in applying EBP to stuttering intervention and areas in which less progress has been observed. Among indices of progress are plentiful basic science and therapy outcomes reports, broader views of effectiveness, and increased representation of people who stutter in program development and evaluation. Among concerns we discuss are: (1) continued disconnects between basic science to understand the nature of stuttering and the therapies we employ with our clients; (2) a need for better understanding of causal mechanisms and mediators of change in stuttering interventions; and (3) specific challenges that make it difficult to know if therapies for early stuttering work significantly better than spontaneous recovery. We also discuss the (4) merits of broadening goals for preschool-aged children and their families; and (5) discuss potential negative ramifications of weakly supported interventions and recommendations for children whose stuttering persists past preschool. We conclude with a section on (6) important questions and populations that we believe remain under- investigated. • We provide a professional evaluation of progress made in the field of preschool stuttering treatment over the past 20 years. • We identify more inclusive goals, particularly in the treatment of older children and adults, that might be usefully included in work with preschoolers who stutter and their parents • We identify some challenges that we believe complicate appraisal of the effectiveness of preschool stuttering therapies, and discuss possible alternative explanations for treatment outcomes • We suggest re-anchoring initial discussions with parents of preschool children who stutter to more actively explore potential goals for children who will continue to stutter past the preschool years.

Source: Journal of Fluency Disorders

DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106171

Authors: Nan Bernstein Ratner, Shelley B. Brundage

Institutions: University of Maryland, College Park, George Washington University

Language: English

Topic: Stuttering Research and Treatment

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,190