None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to continue the pursuit of therapy approaches that view the client holistically, and do not just focus on their overt stuttering. ImpACT Therapy uses group improv to support clients to positively participate and continuously engage in the activities and social situations that are important to them. Focusing on increasing the awareness of one’s own communication abilities in a risk-free supported environment guided by experts in the field of stuttering has the potential to improve long term outcomes for participants. Currently, relapse following treatment is estimated to occur in 30% to 60% of stuttering clients. This research will contribute to identifying specific factors that lead to favourable and less favourable outcomes among this group.
Interventions
All participants will take part in one block of ‘ImpACT stuttering therapy'. The block consists of one 60-minute session per week over a 9-week period requiring at minimum 9 individual visits to clinic.
Therapy has elements of traditional advanced stuttering approaches (stuttering modification), but is combined with a contemporary psychological initiative, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Group improv (pre set games) is used as the vehicle that delivers these elements. The games allow for the
All participants will take part in one block of ‘ImpACT stuttering therapy'. The block consists of one 60-minute session per week over a 9-week period requiring at minimum 9 individual visits to clinic. Therapy has elements of traditional advanced stuttering approaches (stuttering modification), but is combined with a contemporary psychological initiative, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Group improv (pre set games) is used as the vehicle that delivers these elements. The games allow for the opportunity to examine attitudes and feelings around a variety of communication situations, allowing participants to identify individual strengths and challenges. The pre-set improv games increase in complexity over the course of the treatment. Initially, simple games that are predominantly non-verbal are used, followed by troupe/team work drama games and finally "Offer and acceptance" games. The groups will contain 6-10 participants aged either 14-17 years old or 18+ years old. The intervention will be delivered by a speech pathologist with improv experience and an improv teacher over the 9 weeks. A treatment manual will be used by the treating speech pathologist. A case file audit of the session notes associated with the group sessions will be conducted to monitor adherence to the intervention.
Sponsors
University of South Australia
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
14 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Ages: 14 years and over Gender: No restriction. Diagnostic Status: Must have been reportedly stuttering >6 months and possess a stuttering diagnosis. If potential participant does not have a stuttering diagnosis, an appointment with qualified clinician will be arranged to undertake assessment. Stuttering Severity: There is no minimum severity level (as per Overall Assessment of Speaker's Experience - OASES or overt stuttering) required for participation.
Exclusion criteria
Participants must be able to speak sufficient English without use of an interpreter that enables full participation in therapy. This will be determined by the researcher during screening call. Participants will be excluded if they will be concurrently accessing other speech therapy services. Participants with an existing diagnosis of psychogenic or neurogenic stuttering will be excluded from participation.
Outcome results
None listed