Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders

Coordinator's Corner

Gottwald, S. R. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:19:47 PST

From the Editor

Osbourne, C. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:19:47 PST

Stuttering: Imagining a Solution to the Riddle

De Nil, L. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:19:47 PST

The old saying by Van Riper (with a nod to Winston Churchill), that stuttering is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is well known. While it would be preposterous for any of us to state that, 40 years later, we now have solved the riddle, we can say with a great degree of confidence that advances in scientific inquiry have brought us closer to understanding the factors that may trigger the onset, development, and/or maintenance of stuttering. Nevertheless, much still needs to be learned, because the riddle still poses many challenges. For instance, we do not fully understand why developmental stuttering starts somewhere between 2 and 9 years of age, but onset after puberty is rarely if ever seen (other than neurogenic stuttering, but that is a different story), or why boys are more likely to develop chronic stuttering than girls are.

Collaborating With Small Business to Fund Your Research

Brundage, S. B., Graap, K. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:19:47 PST

Merriam-Webster defines collaboration as the ability "to work jointly with others or together, especially in an intellectual endeavor" (Merriam-Webster, 2009). This article describes methods for establishing collaborations and suggests some possible mechanisms to fund collaborative research with small businesses. We briefly describe the processes involved after funding is awarded. The article ends with a list of important variables for successful collaboration.

The Effects of ADHD Medication Changes on a Child Who Stutters

Donaher, J., Healey, E. C., Zobell, A. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:19:47 PST

This case report describes a 10-year-old boy who presented with comorbid stuttering, ADHD, and Tourette Syndrome. The focus of this case study is the child's favorable reaction to the non-stimulant Strattera® versus the stimulant Adderall XR® on stuttering behaviors. The family reported increased stuttering, tic behaviors, social anxiety, and communication-related frustration resulting in social isolation shortly after starting the stimulant medication. Consequently, the medical team discontinued the stimulant medication and prescribed the non-stimulant Strattera® to manage the ADHD symptoms. After initiating the non-stimulant medication, the family reported an increased willingness to interact with peers and reduced aggressiveness while interacting with family members. Compared to the disfluency rate and speech patterning from the first evaluation, the child demonstrated a 63% reduction in disfluency rate and a 51% reduction in the proportion of speech behaviors typical of stuttering. However, the non-stimulant medication was linked with a noticeable increase in impulsivity and decrease in attention/focusing in the academic setting.

Trait and State Anxiety in People Who Stutter and People Who Do Not Stutter

Palasik, S., Irani, F., Goberman, A. M. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:19:47 PST

Previous research suggests that people who stutter (PWS) tend to have heightened general anxiety (i.e., trait anxiety) and situational anxiety (i.e., state anxiety) compared to people who do not stutter (PWDS). Most research with anxiety and stuttering utilizes self-perception scales; however, few studies have looked at anxiety over time. The current study examined self-reported state and trait anxiety in PWS and PWDS over six weeks, along with an investigation of the effects of audio-recording on anxiety. Results indicated no significant group differences in trait (general) anxiety over six weeks; however trends indicated that PWS may have increased trait anxiety compared to PWDS. Furthermore, for both groups, state (situational) anxiety was lower after a recording session compared to before.

SBFD Update

Ribbler, N. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:19:47 PST