Claims of a 'new' stuttering treatment using time-out from speaking are exaggerated: a brief review of the literature and commentary on Hewat et al. (2006).

In a recent article, Hewat et al. 1 claimed to have developed novel procedures for treating stuttering. The present article reviews relevant literature, and shows that the Hewat et al. claims of originality are exaggerated. It is concluded that the Hewat et al. study includes conceptual and methodological weaknesses that render their findings predominantly uninterpretable.