Dysfluency in Autism Spectrum Disorders

AbstractThis paper will present the latest information regarding what is known and unknown about the presence, possible causes, and potential effective treatments of fluency disorders in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Advanced review of cognitive features of ASDs which may play a role in contributing to dysfluencies in this population will be discussed. Examples of practical application of existing information to evaluation and treatment will be presented

Treatment Techniques for Children, Teens, and Adults with Cluttering

AbstractDue to the lack of research regarding the efficacy of treatment approaches to cluttering, speech language the rapists (SLTs) are lacking in information regarding how to approach cluttering clients. The purpose of this presentation is to present a new view of examining evidence-based techniques for treating cluttering in children and adults. Through interactive discussion, methods for managing children, teens, and adults with cluttering will be presented. Assessment and treatment principles will be covered. Specific activities for increasing effective communication in a variety of clients and the evidence base to these activities will be presented. After attending this seminar, SLTs should be able to: 1) state three principles of cluttering assessment; 2) state three principles of cluttering treatment; 3) state three sources of literature establishing evidence base of treatment methods; 4) state three activities to address cluttering in children, teens, and adults with cluttering. Data gathered during actual treatment sessions will be presented in case study format. Overcoming obstacles in managing clients with cluttering using evidenced-based approaches a will be discussed

Speech Disfluency and Autism in Schools: Identifying Needs and Providing Support to SLPs

AbstractIn recent years, there has been a gradually increasing body of literature documenting patterns of disfluency in samples of children on the autism spectrum (see Scaler Scott, Tetnowski, Flaitz, &Yaruss, 2014, for review). This study discusses the results of two surveys. The first survey, discussing 395 students, demonstrates the identification of students with autism and disfluency among school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in three areas of the United States of America. This increased documentation suggests growing concern about treatment methods for disfluencies within this population. The second part of this study discusses a pilot training conducted with one school district in the United States. SLPs were surveyed regarding their knowledge and confidence level in identifying and working with fluency disorders in students with autism. The survey was conducted before and after a training seminar on fluency disorders in children with autism. Three months after training, the SLPs in that district were resurveyed to determine the numbers of cases identified and their comfort level with identifying, evaluating, and treating disfluencies. Despite increases in comfort following training, participants indicated that they were less than comfortable with procedures of referral and treatment. Implications for future SLP training will be discussed

Osobista ocena polskich, słowackich i amerykańskich dzieci jąkających się na temat uzyskiwanego wsparcia

Limited research exists about what children who stutter perceive to be helpful and unhelpful listener supports, and no known research exists cross‑culturally. Such information is necessary to better inform clinical intervention and public attitudes at large. This study sought to address that need by measuring listener preferences among children who stutter from diverse backgrounds.One‑hundred fifty‑one children who stutter from Poland, Slovakia, and the USA completed the child version of the Personal Appraisal of Support for Stuttering. Results were examined descriptively and compared cross‑culturally.Themes pertaining to very helpful and very unhelpful supports emerged across all groups. Many items fell in the neutral range, suggesting variability among individual speakers.Based on the groups examined, children who stutter primarily want listeners to be patient, to include them, and to not laugh when they are speaking. Other nuanced preferences underscore the importance of asking individuals about what they perceive to be helpful and unhelpful. Results of this study informed a listener guideline statement and an open‑access informational handout about how to be most supportive of children who stutter.Wyników badań na temat tego, co dzieci, które się jąkają, postrzegają jako wsparcie, a co jako brak wsparcia ze strony słuchacza jest niewiele. Co więcej, do tej pory nie prowadzono badań międzykulturowych w tym zakresie. Takie dane są potrzebne, aby stosować odpowiednie formy interwencji logopedycznej oraz odpowiednio edukować społeczeństwo. Badanie opisywane w artykule miało na celu wypełnienie tej luki poprzez dokonanie oceny preferencji słuchaczy. Ankietowanymi były dzieci, które się jąkają, pochodzące z różnych środowisk.W badaniu wzięło udział 151 dzieci jąkających się z Polski, Słowacji i USA, które wypełniły dziecięcą wersję kwestionariusza Indywidualna Ocena Wsparcia w Przypadku Jąkania (The Personal Appraisal of Support for Stuttering). Wyniki tego badania zostały przeanalizowane w sposób opisowy i porównane międzykulturowo.We wszystkich grupach pojawiły się tematy dotyczące tego, co wpiera i co nie pomaga w kontaktach interpersonalnych. Wiele pozycji mieściło się w przedziale neutralnym, co sugeruje zmienność wśród poszczególnych respondentów.Dane uzyskane w badanych grupach wykazały, że dzieci jąkające się przede wszystkim chcą, aby słuchacze byli cierpliwi, aby ich nie wykluczali i nie wyśmiewali się z nich, gdy z nimi rozmawiają. Inne preferencje podkreślają znaczenie pytania osób jąkających się o to, co postrzegają jako pomocne, a co jako niewspierające. Do wyników tego badania dołączono także wytyczne dla słuchaczy oraz ogólnodostępną ulotkę informacyjną o tym, jak najlepiej wspierać jąkające się dzieci

Cluttering in the Speech of Young Men With Fragile X Syndrome

Purpose: Cluttering is a fluency disorder that has been noted clinically in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Yet, cluttering has not been systematically characterized in this population, hindering identification and intervention efforts. This study examined the rates of cluttering in male young adults with FXS using expert clinical opinion, the alignment between expert clinical opinion and objectively quantified features of cluttering from language transcripts, and the association between cluttering and aspects of the FXS phenotype. Method: Thirty-six men with FXS (aged 18-26 years; M = 22, SD = 2.35) contributed language samples and completed measures of nonverbal cognition, autism symptoms, anxiety, and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The presence of cluttering was determined by the consensus of two clinical experts in fluency disorders based on characteristics exhibited in the language sample. Cluttering features (speech rate, disfluencies, etc.) were also objectively quantified from the language transcripts. Results: Clinical experts determined that 50% of participants met the criteria for a cluttering diagnosis. Phrase repetitions were the most salient feature that distinguished individuals who cluttered. Although the presence of cluttering was not associated with autism symptoms or mean length of utterance, cluttering was more likely to occur when nonverbal cognitive ability was higher, ADHD symptoms were elevated, and anxiety symptoms were low. Conclusions: Half of the male young adults with FXS exhibited cluttering, which supports FXS as a genetic diagnosis that is highly enriched for risk of cluttering. Cluttering was associated with increased ADHD symptoms and cognitive ability and reduced anxiety symptoms. This study contributes a new description of the clinical presentation of cluttering in men with FXS and may lead to improved understanding of the potential underlying mechanisms of cluttering and eventual refinements to treatment and diagnosis