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From: Ann Packman
Date: 10/6/03
Time: 5:19:31 AM
Remote Name: 129.78.64.100
Thank you for your thought-provoking question. First of all, I should say that my answer is guided primarily by the evidence from research into the Lidcombe Program. In the short term, the first stage of the Program continues until there is no more stuttering or until stuttering is at a very low level, both inside and outside the clinic. The second stage of the program is designed to maintain that outcome for at least a year. So, if the Program is being conducted according to the treatment Manual (which is available at the website of the Australian Stuttering Research Centre) the child should be exhibiting minimal or no stuttering at the conclusion of Stage 2. Having said that, there is not a lot known yet about how children fare many years down the track. There is one long-term study which found that while the vast majority of children were stutter-free, some parents reported that their children still stuttered occasionally. However, one of the things parents learn in the Lidcombe Program is what to do if there is any sign of stuttering re-occurring. It is empowering for parents in this way. In short, the available evidence indicates that almost all children do not stutter after participating in the Lidcombe Program.
Now, I will put aside my clinical and empirical hats and put on my theoretical one. I think the as-yet-unanswered question of what happens to stuttering in the course of the Lidcombe Program is a very interesting one. We do not know what causes stuttering, but if there is some physical factor underlying stuttering, or contributing to it, then clearly the Program cannot remove that. The Program is behavioral, and the best we can say about the treatment process is that children learn, during the Program, to talk without stuttering. This may sound trivial, but it is not. I am suggesting that the Program somehow enables children to draw on and expand their already considerable ability to speak without stuttering. This occurs regardless of what the underlying cause of stuttering might be. When I say “stuttering” here, I am referring to all the speech disruptions that we recognise as stuttering, regardless of whether we call them primary or secondary. I hope this has gone some way to answering your question!
Ann