Intervention with the Lidcombe Program for a Bilingual School-Age Child Who Stutters in Iran

Abstract

Objective: In this study, the immediate and extended effects of the Lidcombe Program were investigated for the first time in Iran. Treatment in the Lidcombe Program is carried out by the child’s parent (or carer) in the child’s everyday environment. The program has been shown to be effective with preschool children who stutter (i.e. younger than 6 years) and to a lesser extent with older children. Participant and Method: The participant was a bilingual (Baluchi-Persian) boy aged 8 years 11 months. Treatment was conducted in both languages. Stuttering severity was measured in Baluchi with the parental rating scale, and in Persian with percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS). Results: The child completed stage 1 of the program in 13 weeks. %SS was less than 1 during the last 3 clinic visits and severity ratings made by the parent indicated no stuttering (severity rating = 1) for all days of the final week. Speech recordings made beyond the clinic in both languages also indicated stuttering at below 1%SS. The child met all criteria for stage 2 in both languages, over 10 months. Conclusion: This case report suggests that the Lidcombe Program could be suitable for bilingual Iranian children who stutter.

Management options for pediatric patients who stutter: current challenges and future directions

“…The efficacy of this intervention has been demonstrated in several randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 13 – 16 clinical audits, 17 – 19 and investigations on group 20 and telehealth 16 , 21 , 22 service models. Further evidence of the effectiveness of the Lidcombe Program comes from case and small group studies from around the globe 15 , 23 – 27 and a community translation study. 28 …”

A scoping review of the school-aged stuttering intervention literature

“…effects on treatment outcomes, was evaluated on how and when each study measured outcomes/judged effectiveness. Majority of studies (n = 8) measured body structures and function using outcomes of speech fluency including stuttering syllable percentages (%SS), stuttering word percentages (%SW), Syllables per minute (SPM), and severity ratings using audiorecordings (C. Andrews et al, 2016;Bakhtiar & Packman, 2009;Budd et al, 1986 Cleary, 1982;Gagnon & Ladouceur, 1992;Harasym & Langevin, 2012;Koushik et al, 2009;Wagaman et al, 1993). The other two studies included psychosocial outcomes measures related to attitude, which could be classified within the ICF domain of environmental factors.…”

Measuring Stuttering in Preschool-Aged Children across Different Languages: An International Study

“…This measurement tool was utilized because (1) it is easy and quick to use, (2) it is widely used by SLPs who use the Lidcombe Program, and (3) it can be used in any language without the need for translation. For example, it was used to measure stuttering in two languages (Farsi and Baluchi) in an Iranian bilingual child who stuttered [12]. …”