The Lidcombe Program

A specialized effective treatment program for children who stutter and their parents

The Lidcombe program is a highly (91-100%) effective treatment program for young children who stutter aged 3 and a half to 6 years as shown by scientific research studies (Onslow et al., 2003).  This treatment program requires weekly sessions at the clinic, tracking stuttering behaviors to ensure progress, and daily supportive “play” sessions at home with caregivers.  Significant improvement is typically seen within 12 weeks, but will depend on individual circumstances.  See http://sydney.edu.au/health_sciences/asrc/clinic/parents/lidcombe.shtml for more details about the Lidcombe program.

Lidcombe treatment is provided by students enrolled in CSD clinical practicum under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Smits-Bandstra and Lori Griffin, experienced Lidcombe providers.  Students have the opportunity to learn Lidcombe principles and procedures in preschool stuttering, methods of assessment, and therapy techniques.  Students also have opportunities to conduct research and present at local and national conventions.

The treatment is direct. This means that it involves the parent commenting directly about the child's speech. This parent feedback should be overwhelmingly positive. The parent comments primarily when the child speaks without stuttering and only occasionally when the child stutters. The parent does not comment on the child's speech all the time, but chooses specific times during the day in which to give the child feedback.

The Lidcombe Program is conducted in two stages. During Stage 1, the parent conducts the treatment each day and the parent and child attend the speech clinic once a week. This continues until stuttering disappears or occurs infrequently. Stage 2 of the program starts at this point. The aim of Stage 2 is for the child to be stutter free for at least one year. The use of parent feedback during Stage 2 is reduced, as is the number of clinic visits, providing that stuttering remains at the low level it was at the start of Stage 2. This maintenance part of the program is essential because it is well known that stuttering may sporadically reappear after a successful treatment.

 

 

Presentations and Publications:

Smits-Bandstra, S., & Yovetich, Y. (2003). Treatment effectiveness for school aged children who stutter. Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 27(2), 125.