A rapid method of eliminating stuttering by a regulated breathing approach

Applying Behavior Analysis to Clinical Problems: Review and Analysis of Habit Reversal

“…Contingent on the occurrence of a stutter, the client stopped speaking, took a deep breath, exhaled slightly, and continued speaking. As they did with habit reversal, Azrin and Nunn (1974) demonstrated the effectiveness of the regulated breathing approach for stuttering in an investigation with a number of methodological limitations. However, the procedure has been subsequently evaluated by researchers and shown to be effective for the treatment of stuttering in children and adults (Azrin, Nunn, & Frantz, 1979;Cote & Ladouceur, 1982;Ladouceur, Boudreau, & Theberge, 1981;Ladouceur & Martineau, 1982;Ladouceur & Saint-Laurent, 1986;Saint-Laurent & Ladouceur, 1987;Waterloo & Gotestam, 1988).…”

“…Furthermore, habit reversal is effective for these target behaviors even in the absence of information about the function of the behaviors. Azrin and Nunn (1974) modified habit reversal for the treatment of stuttering and referred to the treatment package as the regulated breathing approach. The 12 individual treatment components were organized into the same four phases as habit reversal: awareness training, competing response training, motivation procedures, and generalization procedures.…”

“…Azrin and colleagues were responsible for many applications of these behavioral procedures to treat clinical problems such as nervous habits (Azrin & Nunn, 1973), tics (Azrin, Nunn, & Frantz, 1980b), stuttering (Azrin & Nunn, 1974), alcohol abuse (Hunt & Azrin, 1973), enuresis (Azrin & Foxx, 1971), and aggressive and disruptive behaviors (Foxx & Azrin, 1972). Habit reversal, a procedure used to treat nervous habits, tics, and stuttering, was one of the successful treatments developed and evaluated in this era.…”

Stuttering, language, and cognition: A review and a model of stuttering as suprasegmental sentence plan alignment (SPA).

“…Even though many stuttering therapy programs for adults include language skill training, this aspect of the programs is usually ignored in theoretical discussions of their therapeutic effectiveness. For instance, Azrin and Nunn (1974) used a treatment program whose salient features included taking a deep breath to relax the throat and chest muscles; but the program also required the individual being treated to mentally formulate the content of the conversation.…”

Acquisition and Maintenance of Health‐care Routines as a Function of Feedback Density

“…Tosti and Jackson (1981), for example, argued that to change the form of a response, feedback should be provided only when the performer has the opportunity to try the new performance immediately. Several researchers have demonstrated successful interventions by providing continuous feedback to change such behaviors as nervous habits, tics, stuttering, and nail biting (Azrin & Nunn, 1973, 1974, 1976, safety belt use (Geller, 1983), and food preparation (Geller, Eason, Phillips, & Pierson, 1980). The data they have presented attest to the efficacy and practicality of massed feedback interventions (i.e., resembling continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedules).…”