Posttreatment Relapse in Stuttering

Stuttering is a common speech disorder that involves the repeating of sounds or words, blocks in speech production, and sometimes extraneous movements. Onset usually occurs during the preschool years after a period of typical speech development. Stuttering generally becomes more difficult to treat with age. Persistent stuttering can be associated with reduced educational and occupational attainment and risk for developing a range of mental health problems, particularly involving anxiety.

For young children, treatment aims to eliminate stuttering, and many will recover requiring no further treatment. However, treatment for chronic stuttering typically involves control or management strategies. There are a range of treatment approaches for adults who stutter; however, speech restructuring has the most published research evidence. This entry provides an overview of speech restructuring treatment for ...