Evaluation of an integrated fluency and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention for adolescents and adults who stutter: Participant perspectives

• Published in: Journal of fluency disorders Vol. 69; p. 105852
• Main Authors: Hart, Alice K., Breen, Lauren J., Beilby, Janet M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Inc 01.09.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Adolescents; Adult stuttering disorders; Adults; Fluency; Intervention; Person-centred care; Polls & surveys; Qualitative research; Speech therapy; Stuttering; Teenagers; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Qualitative research; Stuttering; Adult stuttering disorders; Person-centred care
• ISSN: 0094-730X; 1873-801X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2021.105852

•Interventions often focus on speech fluency alone, but there is demand for holistic and cost-effective interventions to meet consumer needs.•Speech fluency (speech restructuring and stuttering modification) integrates with psychosocial (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) therapy.•Client centred therapy is important in the evaluation of intervention for the management of adult stuttering disorders i.e. the consumer voice.•Participants highlighted the importance and usefulness of an individualised, integrated approach to stuttering intervention.•Findings support the authenticity, acceptability, and social validity of an integrated fluency and psychosocial intervention for stuttering. Childhood-onset stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder that may cause pervasive negative consequences for adults who stutter. In addition to significant challenges in personal, social, and emotional domains, stuttering has been shown to impose an economic burden on adults who stutter. Intervention for adults who stutter has historically addressed speech fluency more so than the covert psychosocial aspects of the disorder. There is an identified clinical need for holistic, efficacious, and cost-effective stuttering interventions that meet consumer needs. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate a novel, integrated intervention that combined traditional fluency techniques with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, from the perspective of the adults who stutter who participated in the intervention. Twenty-eight adults who stutter completed the intervention program. Participants were invited to complete an online post-program written survey (including qualitative comments) and a semi-structured interview to explore their evaluations of the program with respect to its authenticity, acceptability, and social validity. Participants perceived positive psychosocial changes as a result of the program, and were satisfied with the program overall. Qualitative thematic analyses of the written survey comments and the semi-structured interviews identified two major themes: factors specific to the intervention and factors specific to the therapeutic process. Several important sub-themes were also identified. Findings support the authenticity, acceptability, and social validity of an integrated fluency and psychosocial intervention for stuttering. Findings also highlight the need for consideration of the consumer voice in the management of stuttering disorders, in keeping with person-centred care.