The results of this study did not support the hypothesis that long-term use of benzodiazepines frequently results in notable dose escalation.

Purpose The purpose of this meta-analytic study was to identify clinical characteristics, defined as child factors that can be assessed by a speech-language pathologist as part of a routine speech-language evaluation that may differentiate children who persist in stuttering from children who eventually recover from stuttering. Clinical characteristics explored included sex, age at onset, family history of stuttering, stuttering frequency and severity, speech-language skills, and temperament. Method Studies were identified through electronic databases, journals, and reference lists of relevant reports (e.g., research articles). Eligible studies followed young children who stutter (i.e., under 6 years old) for at least 24 months, assessed a potential clinical marker at study entry, and determined talker group classification (i.e., persistent or recovered) at study completion. Sex and family history differences were estimated using risk ratios; all other differences were estimated using Hedges's g . Heterogeneity and methodological differences among studies were evaluated. Results Eleven studies (41 reports) met eligibility criteria. Persistent children were older at stuttering onset and exhibited higher frequencies of stuttering-like disfluencies, lower speech sound accuracy, and lower expressive and receptive language skills than recovered children. Males and children with a family history of stuttering were also more likely to persist. Conclusions Clinical characteristics were identified that are associated with increased risk for stuttering persistence. Future studies have the potential to translate these clinical characteristics into prognostic markers for stuttering persistence risk.

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between temperament and vocabulary development for children who stutter and persist, children who stutter and recover and children who do not stutter.Methods: Participants, aged 3;0 to 4;11 at the start of the study, were followed for two years. They were classified as persisting (n = 10), recovered (n = 26), and non-stuttering (n = 24) based on multiple assessments of stuttering spaced across study participation. Groups were balanced for age and gender ratios. At each visit, participants completed the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 4 th edition, and the Expressive Vocabulary Test, 2 nd edition; caregivers completed the Children's Behavior Questionnaire.Results: For both persisting and recovered groups, higher negative emotionality was associated with lower receptive vocabulary. These associations were both significantly more negative than the non-stuttering group's association. Conclusion:These findings suggest that receptive vocabulary development is differentially linked to temperament based on a child's stuttering status. As others have speculated (Conture & Walden, 2012), it appears as though there are salient associations between temperament, speechlanguage development, and childhood stuttering.

Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate the singular and joint contributions of speech-language dissociations and attention (i.e., distractibility and attention span) to stuttering chronicity. Method Participants, aged 3;0–4;11 (years;months) at an initial visit, were classified as persisting ( n = 10; 9 boys), recovered ( n = 32; 23 boys), and nonstuttering ( n = 28; 19 boys) based on multiple speech and language evaluations spread across 2 years. The evaluations included assessments of articulation, receptive and expressive vocabulary, and omnibus receptive and expressive language. These measures were used to identify speech-language dissociations using a correlation-based statistical approach. Attentional characteristics, which included measures of distractibility and attention span, were based on parent report. Analyses investigated between-group differences related to dissociations and attentional characteristics as well as the relation between these indices. Results There were no significant between-group differences for the persisting and recovered groups on measures of speech-language dissociations; however, the recovered group was found to exhibit less optimal attention span than the persisting group. In addition, children with dissociations exhibited less optimal distractibility and attention spans at the final time point than children without dissociations. Conclusions Present results indicate that attention is related to both stuttering chronicity and the presence of speech-language dissociations; however, they do not support the notion that dissociations are associated with stuttering persistence. These results provide novel insights into the complex nature of the association between developmental stuttering, speech-language dissociations, and attention.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to survey school speech-language practitioners' self-perceptions of their confidence, knowledge, and need for support for working with school-age students who stutter (SWS). Method A total of 120 school-based speech-language practitioners from 27 Nashville, Tennessee, area counties completed an online, 35-item survey examining caseloads, coursework, continuing education, experience, and perceived levels of skill and confidence in service provision to SWS. They also rated their need for consultation from speech-language pathologists who specialize in stuttering to improve their skills with SWS. Results Respondents were least confident in and needed most support for providing intervention to SWS. Those who needed most support for intervention rated themselves as less knowledgeable about stuttering theory, assessment, and intervention and were less confident about working with students who only stutter and with SWS who have concomitant communication concerns. Greater practitioner confidence in stuttering intervention skills was positively correlated with the number of SWS on caseloads; continuing education credits in stuttering; and knowledge of stuttering theory, assessment, and intervention. Respondents who completed a graduate course on stuttering had greater confidence in stuttering intervention and were less likely to identify a need for support from specialists. Conclusions School speech-language practitioners continue to report needing additional education, practice opportunities, and support, especially with intervention, and desiring specialized guidance to serve SWS. Those with more experience, education, and knowledge about stuttering are more confident and skillful, reflecting the potential positive impact of increased opportunities to learn about and work with SWS. These needs may be addressed through increased availability of specialists in stuttering to consult with school practitioners; opportunities for school-based practitioners to become peer mentors; and provision of readily available, intervention-focused continuing education experiences and resources.