Virtual adaptation of Camp Dream. Speak. Live.: Clinical outcomes of an intensive CARE Model intervention for children who stutter.

PURPOSE: Camp Dream. Speak. Live. is an intensive, strengths-based, manualised treatment program for children who stutter, with no indirect or direct fluency goals. This study determined the effectiveness of a virtual adaptation of Camp Dream. Speak. Live. in reducing the adverse impact of stuttering and increasing communication competence.

METHOD: Sixty-one children who stutter (ages 3 to 17 years) participated in Virtual Camp Dream. Speak. Live. pre- and post-treatment measures were identical to previous in-person administrations: (a) Self- and caregiver-report of cognitive and affective impact of stuttering (Communication Attitude Test for Children who Stutter, Overall Assessment of Speaker's Experience of Stuttering, PROMIS Paediatric Peer Relationship, and PROMIS Parent Proxy Relationships) and (b) unfamiliar clinician ratings of communication competence of impromptu presentations.

RESULT: Significant post-treatment gains observed one week after treatment were reported for the Communication Attitude Test for Children who Stutter (p < .05), Overall Assessment of Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (p < .001), and PROMIS Peer Relationships Parent Proxy (p < .05). Significant gains in post-treatment communication competence were observed for seven of nine competencies (p-value range: .01 to .02). Pre-treatment stuttering frequency did not significantly predict changes in communication competence.

CONCLUSION

Findings from Virtual Camp Dream. Speak. Live. demonstrate that the administration of the adapted telepractice format of this manualised program yields comparable findings as when administered in-person, suggesting promising implications when in-person provision and/or access is not feasible.