The effect of an intensive group therapy program for young adults who stutter: A single subject study

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of a treatment program for young adults who stutter aged 16;0 to 19;0 years. A repeated measures single-subject experimental design was used. Home-based video recorded speech samples were collected during a five-week baseline phase, 2-week intensive treatment phase, five-week consolidation phase and 10-month follow-up phase. Self-report questionnaires were completed before treatment and periodically during each phase of the study. Data is presented for one male participant, aged 18;0 years. A total of 35 video recordings were collected, transcribed and analysed in terms of the percentage of stuttered syllables (%SS) and the mean duration of stuttered events. A simplified time-series analysis was used to analyse the data. A statistically significant trend of reduced severity was found for frequency of stuttering and the mean duration of stuttered events. The findings indicate that this program for young adults who stutter has a significant treatment effect. Findings will be discussed in relation to the application of single-subject studies to clinical practice and the contribution that they can make in developing a larger research strategy.