Fluency Intervention

Question 1

What is indirect fluency therapy?

Answer 1

Parent centered and directed therapy, in which the SLP/SLPA model how parents can support fluency development at home

Question 2

Primary Dysfluencies are:

Answer 2

Blocks, Prolongations, repetitions

Question 3

Secondary Dysfluencies are:

Answer 3

Twitching, anxiety, frustration, emotional responses, avoiding words or situations

Question 4

What are some ways that we can support fluent speech?

Answer 4

1. Talking slower
2. Giving them lots of time to speak
3. Pause
4. Listening intently
5. Make more comments and ask less questions
6. Use shorter sentences and words
7. Reduce situational demands

Question 5

How can you reduce situational demands to promote fluency?

Answer 5

• Social rules for interrupting
• Help client set achievable goals
• Occasionally reassure

Question 6

A child has a greater chance of recovery of fluency if:

Answer 6

• The onset is before age 3
• They are female
• There is no family history of dysfluency
• Trend of decreasing stuttering by ~ 12 months post onset

Question 7

What are some examples of indirect therapy techniques?

Answer 7

-Reducing the stress of the home environment
- Parents are taught to reduce stress during communication by changing their communication style with the child (talking slower, pausing, etc)

Question 8

A parent centered approach originating in Australia is _______

Answer 8

Lidcombe Program

Question 9

Lidcombe Program is primarily used by children aged ___ to ____

Answer 9

~3 1/2 to 6 years old

Question 10

What is the main difference between the Lidcombe approach and typical indirect therapy?

Answer 10

In the Lidcombe approach, the child’s dysfluencies are directly targeted

Question 11

What is the term used that refers to the way that adults respond to children’s dysfluencies?

Answer 11

Contingent stimulation

Question 12

Explain the direct therapy approaches used in direct fluency therapy

Answer 12

1. Identification of own dysfluencies
2. Fluency Shaping techniques
3. Stuttering Modification Techniques
4. Social- Emotional Component

Question 13

Expand on some Fluency Shaping Techniques

Answer 13

1. Easy Starts/ Easy Onsets
2. Light Contacts
3. Stretched speech
4. Slow speech rate; Pausing

Question 14

Explain what Easy onsets/ Easy Starts are in fluency therapy

Answer 14

Starting out speaking with less physical tension in your speech muscles
- Use on vowels
- Practice with “H” first

Question 15

Light Contrasts are:

Answer 15

Inserting “air pillows” or space between articulators to help produce words with less physical tension
- Use on consonants

Question 16

What are some Stuttering Modification Techniques?

Answer 16

1. Cancellation
2. Slide out/ Pull out
3. Voluntary Stuttering

Question 17

Explain how the stuttering modification technique “Cancellation” works

Answer 17

• AFTER stuttering on a word, pause long enough where the tension is
• Release the tension in speech muscles
• Start word again with easy start/ light touches