title: Audit of outcomes from pre-school stammering intervention in a defined catchment population in the west of Ireland.
abstract: We have carried out an audit of outcomes from a pre-school stammering intervention offered to all 64 children, aged under 5 years referred from a defined catchment population to a single speech and language therapist over an 11 year period (1993 -2003 inclusive). Therapy was based on a client centred eclectic approach which combines elements of direct therapy focused on the child's speech and a number of indirect approaches to treatment which focus on changing the child's environment. Follow-up was conducted by means of a short questionnaire to the parents. Non responders were assessed informally by a school nurse with responsibility for the clinic catchment area. Questionnaires were returned for 46 of the 64 children in the audit, of whom 43 were reported as not stammering, 2 with persistent stammer and there was one child with missing data on fluency status. No stammering was detected by the school nurse in the 18 non-respondents. Thus 61 of the 63 children (97%; 95% C.I. 88.9% to 99.6%) with documented fluency status were reported as free of stammer at follow-up. These outcomes exceed natural recovery rates and highlight the importance of early referral of children with pre-school stammering to a specialist speech and language clinic
authors: HSE North-West, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim. patrickdrumkelly@eircom.net
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Kelly
authors: I J
authors: IJ
authors: Perry
mesh_terms: D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D007808:Language Therapy; D008485:Medical Audit; D013070:Speech Therapy; D013342:Stuttering / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome