Outcomes from the implementation of a telepractice delivered Lidcombe Program service for primary school aged children who stutter.

The Lidcombe Program is a behavioural treatment approach in which parents are trained to implement treatment in the child’s natural environment. Parents are taught in weekly 45-60 minute sessions with a speech pathologist to provide verbal contingencies for stutter-free and stuttered speech in both controlled and naturalistic settings. Treatment is delivered in two stages. In Stage 1 the child (and parent) attends weekly sessions with the speech pathologist and receives daily parent-administered treatment until there is no stuttering (or almost no stuttering) when they speak. The daily treatment involves 15 minutes of speech activities during which the parent will provide the contingencies taught by the speech pathologist. In Stage 2, treatment is gradually withdrawn over an extended period in a formalised way. Children and their parent attend sessions with their speech pathologist with the following gaps between sessions 2 weeks, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, 16 weeks. In this clinical trial participants will receive treatment using telepractice (i.e. a secure video-conferencing platform). During the weekly 45-60 minute treatment sessions participants will be situated in their school with a parent also in attendance. The treating speech pathologist will connect remotely via video conference and will be located in their office. In this trial, post-treatment outcome measures (final data point) will be taken 9 months after commencing treatment irrespective of what stage of the Lidcombe Program the child has reached. The participants will continue to receive treatment from their treating speech pathologist until completion of Stage 2 of the program. Research has shown that 90% of children complete Stage 1 within 28 weeks (i.e. approximately 7 months).