Contemporary clinical conversations about stuttering: What assessment is necessary before clinical management of pre-schoolers?

PURPOSE: To discuss what assessment is necessary before clinical management of pre-schoolers who stutter, and to inform junior clinicians and students of speech-language pathology about this matter.

METHOD: The issue was discussed by two experienced clinicians who provide clinical services and two university researchers. Written conversational turns in an exchange were limited to 100 words each. When that written dialogue was concluded, participants provided a final reflection about the matter.

RESULT: There are many formal and informal assessments that may be used, and clinicians need to choose judiciously from among them. The key to choosing assessments is whether they will influence treatment. There was some disagreement about whether identification of early stuttering is a clinical challenge.

CONCLUSION

The participants presented their views of what routine assessments are required before clinical management of pre-schoolers who stutter. In the Appendix A, the participants list their recommendations for parent case history, non-standardised assessments, and standardised testing and screening.