title: Effectiveness of the Lidcombe Program for early stuttering in Australian community clinics.
abstract: This study explored the effectiveness of the Lidcombe Program for early stuttering in community clinics. Participants were 31 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) using the Lidcombe Program in clinics across Australia, and 57 of their young stuttering clients. Percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) was collected 9 months after beginning treatment along with information about variables likely to influence outcomes. The mean %SS for the 57 children 9 months after starting treatment was 1.7. The most significant predictor of outcome was Lidcombe Program Trainers Consortium (LPTC) training. The children of trained SLPs (n = 19), compared to the children of untrained SLPs, took 76% more sessions to complete stage 1, but achieved 54% lower %SS scores, 9 months after starting treatment. Results suggest that outcomes for the Lidcombe Program in the general community may be comparable to those obtained in clinical trials when SLPs receive formal training and support.
authors.affiliation: Australian Stuttering Research Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Brian
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iverach
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onslow
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Packman
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menzies
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000379:methods*; D013342:Stuttering / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014833:Voice Quality