Efficacy of Combined Skills Training and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Persons Who Stutter

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the efficacy of Combined Skills Training and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in the treatment of stuttering. The sample consisted of 15 adolescents and 15 adults. The mean age of the adolescents and adults was 18.4 years and 24.7 years, respectively. Each of the participants were required to attend ten sessions of one hour each, on a weekly basis. The therapy was conducted in accordance to the treatment module, which had a detailed session-by-session structured plan. The variables, which tested the efficacy of the treatment, were situational - anxiety, communication attitude, assertiveness, self-esteem and fluency. These were assessed using Speech Situational Checklist- (short form), S-24 Communication Attitude scale, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Speech Severity Index, respectively. All of these five were administered pre and post intervention. Analysis of results indicated that adults showed more improvement than adolescents with respect to all of the variables, the improvement was found to be significantly better for adults than adolescents with respect to fluency (p < 0.03).Hence, it can be concluded that the Combined Skills training and Cognitive Behavioural approach proved to be more efficacious in the treatment of adults who stutter when dealing with situational anxiety, communication attitude, assertiveness, self-esteem, and fluency, as compared to adolescents.