The Lidcombe Program for Preschoolers that Stutter
Lidcombe Program for
Preschool Stutterers
The Lidcombe Program is a treatment for young children who stutter.
It has been developed since the mid-1980s and has been scientifically researched in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The results of this research are very positive. In 2005 a randomised controlled trial of the Lidcombe Program was published in the British Medical Journal, showing that the treatment is extremely successful.
The Lidcombe Program
As a parent, you do the treatment with your child every day. You will be coached in how to comment constructively on your child’s speech at various times and this teaches your child how to speak without stuttering. You can do the treatment according to your family and cultural values. You and your child visit the speech pathology clinic each week. The speech pathologist works with you to ensure that the treatment is appropriate for your child and that it is effective (speech pathologists are also known as speech therapists, speech-language therapists, and speech-language pathologists). It is important that your child has fun while doing the program.
Features of the program
Treating Stuttering in Young Children
It is absolutely normal for parents to feel concerned about their child’s stuttering. Many children grow out of stuttering in the preschool years. In the past, this has led professional people to advise parents not to worry about stuttering and not to seek treatment. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know in advance whether your child will recover without treatment, so it is recommended that you seek the advice of a speech pathologist as soon as possible after your child starts to stutter. Your speech pathologist may suggest waiting a short while to see if the stuttering goes away naturally or may suggest starting the Lidcombe Program immediately. Other factors, such as whether your child is distressed by the stuttering, will be taken into account when deciding to start treatment. It is recommended that children start the program before they reach 5 years of age.
It has been developed since the mid-1980s and has been scientifically researched in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The results of this research are very positive. In 2005 a randomised controlled trial of the Lidcombe Program was published in the British Medical Journal, showing that the treatment is extremely successful.
The Lidcombe Program
As a parent, you do the treatment with your child every day. You will be coached in how to comment constructively on your child’s speech at various times and this teaches your child how to speak without stuttering. You can do the treatment according to your family and cultural values. You and your child visit the speech pathology clinic each week. The speech pathologist works with you to ensure that the treatment is appropriate for your child and that it is effective (speech pathologists are also known as speech therapists, speech-language therapists, and speech-language pathologists). It is important that your child has fun while doing the program.
Features of the program
- You do the treatment with your child each day.
- You measure the severity of you child’s stuttering each day by giving it a score between 1 and 10, where 1=no stuttering, 2=extremely mild stuttering, and 10 = extremely severe stuttering.
- During Stage 1 of the program, you and your child see the speech pathologist for 30 minutes to 1 hour per week, until the stuttering severity scores are 1 (or occasionally 2).
- Research shows that, when the treatment is done according to the treatment manual, 11 weeks is the average number of treatment sessions required to complete Stage 1. There is, however, a considerable range of treatment times that are necessary. Some children may take only a few weeks, while others may take more than 22 weeks.
- During Stage 2 of the program, the amount of treatment you do and the frequency of clinic visits systematically decreases, provided the severity of your child’s stuttering remains low. Stage 2 may last up to a year. It is very important to complete both stages of the program.
Treating Stuttering in Young Children
It is absolutely normal for parents to feel concerned about their child’s stuttering. Many children grow out of stuttering in the preschool years. In the past, this has led professional people to advise parents not to worry about stuttering and not to seek treatment. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know in advance whether your child will recover without treatment, so it is recommended that you seek the advice of a speech pathologist as soon as possible after your child starts to stutter. Your speech pathologist may suggest waiting a short while to see if the stuttering goes away naturally or may suggest starting the Lidcombe Program immediately. Other factors, such as whether your child is distressed by the stuttering, will be taken into account when deciding to start treatment. It is recommended that children start the program before they reach 5 years of age.
