Treatment for Stuttering in Preschool-Age Children: A Qualitative Document Analysis of Treatment Programs

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify commonalities and differences between content components in stuttering treatment programs for preschool-age children. Method: In this document analysis, a thematic analysis of the content was conducted of handbooks and manuals describing Early Childhood Stuttering Therapy, the Lidcombe Program, Mini-KIDS, Palin Parent–Child Interaction Therapy, RESTART Demands and Capacities Model Method, and the Westmead Program. First, a theoretical framework defining a content component in treatment was developed. Second, we coded and categorized the data following the procedure of reflexive thematic analysis. In addition, the first authors of the treatment documents have reviewed the findings in this study, and their feedback has been analyzed and taken into consideration. Results: Sixty-one content components within the seven themes— interaction , coping , reactions , everyday life , information , language , and speech —were identified across the treatment programs. The content component SLP providing information about the child's stuttering was identified across all treatment programs. All programs are multithematic, and no treatment program has a single focus on speech, language, or parent–child interaction. A comparison of the programs with equal treatment goals highlighted more commonalities in content components across the programs. The differences between the treatment programs were evident in both the number of content components that varied from seven to 39 and the content included in each treatment program. Conclusions: Only one common content component was identified across programs, and the number and types of components vary widely. The role that the common content component plays in treatment effects is discussed, alongside implications for research and clinical practice. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25457929