Development of an internet version of the Lidcombe Program of early stuttering intervention: A trial of Part 1

Purpose: There is evidence that access to treatment for early stuttering is not available for all who need it. An internet version of the Lidcombe Program for early stuttering (Internet-LP) has been developed to deal with this shortfall. The LP is suitable for such development because it is delivered by parents in the child’s everyday environment, with training by a speech-language pathologist. A Phase I trial of Internet-LP Part 1, comprising parent training, is reported here.

Method: Eight parents of pre-schoolers who stutter were recruited and six completed the trial.

Result: Post-trial assessment indicated that the parents scored well for identifying and measuring stuttering and for knowledge about conducting practice sessions, including how to present verbal contingencies during practice sessions.

Conclusion: The results prompted minor adjustments to Part 1 and guided the construction of Part 2, which instructs parents during the remainder of the treatment process.