Treatment featuring direct speech therapy for a school-age child with severe stuttering: A case report

Abstract

This study reports on a course of treatment used on a boy aged eight years and ten months with severe stuttering which began at the age of three years and six months. Direct speech therapy was performed with an element of play involving his parents. The speech therapy included: 1) slow (" stretched") and soft ("using gentle voice") speech with toys (toy turtle, soft stuffed animal, etc.) used as metaphors and pacers; 2) rhythmic speech using metronome; 3) approach addressing inspiratory phonation of the subject's main disfluency type: after inspiration, the subject performed easy voice onset, and slow and stretched speech using gentle voice with expiration; 4) role playing using scripts featuring situations from his daily life, read out loud with his parents. After speech therapy, the subject was given child-centered play therapy. In counseling, his parents were also encouraged to reduce stress in his daily environment. Through this treatment, stuttering and attitude improved remarkably.