Theoretical Issues In Stuttering

Despite decades of research into the nature and treatment of stuttering, the causes and underlying mechanisms of it are still not well understood. In this unique and comprehensive overview of the numerous theories and models which seek to understand and explain stuttering, the authors of Theoretical Issues in Stuttering provide an invaluable account. Covering an impressive range of topics including past and current theories of stuttering, this edition provides the reader with an updated evaluation of the literature on the subject of stuttering alongside exploring the evolution of new theories. Placing each within the relevant historical context, the authors explore the contribution of theory to both understanding and managing stuttering. Theoretical Issues in Stuttering is a critical account of the models and theories which surround the subject of stuttering, aiming to act as a key resource for students of speech-language pathology as well as lecturers, clinicians and researchers within the field.

This book covers an impressive range of topics including a description of both past and current theories of stuttering, evaluation of the explanatory power of such models, and the evidence put forward to support them.

*HA18, Stuttering Therapy: An Integrated Approach to Theory and Practice, Richard Culatta(Appalachain State University), Stanley Goldberg(San Francisco State University), U1647-9, 480 pp., 7 1/4 x 9 1/4, 0-023-26311-3, casebound, 1995, $39.00nk, October*/This book provides a comprehensive look at defining, measuring, and treating stuttering. It discusses basic concepts on which therapy is based and examines the process of diagnosis. The main portion of the book is devoted to therapy. Intervention programs are summarized and compared through the use of a unique methodology that clearly identifies attitudes and behaviors to be treated.

This book is a comprehensive guide to the evidence, theories, and practical issues associated with recovery from stuttering in early childhood and into adolescence. It examines evidence that stuttering is associated with a range of biological factors — such as genetics — and psychological factors — such as anxiety — and it critically assesses theoretical accounts that attempt to integrate these findings. Written so that it can be used flexibly to meet the demands of courses about stuttering, the book may be used as a text at the undergraduate or graduate level in psychology or speech-language science.

This text brings together the experience and expertise of a group of speech and language therapists who work with, both individually and in groups, children and adults who stutter. The past 2 decades have seen the emergence of what might be termed a British school of stuttering therapy, which has placed increasing emphasis on the need to improve communication skills, encourage a more positive approach to talking and facilitate a change in the stutterer's self-perception. The influence of Kelly's work in Personal Construct psychology is evident throughout the book, and there is a chapter devoted to the application of Kelly's ideas in stuttering therapy. This influence has been importance in shaping our approach to therapy. The book looks at both theoretical and practical aspects of management, including the development of stuttering and early intervention, family therapy, and working with adolescents and adults. It includes some hitherto unpublished work on self-esteem and a final chapter on the issues of under and postgraduate training and service provision.

This state-of-the art volume is a follow-up to the 1999 publication, Stuttering Research and Practice: Bridging the Gap, edited by Nan Ratner and E. Charles Healey. Like its predecessor, the current book is an edited collection of the presentations from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Annual Leadership Conference in Fluency and Fluency Disorders. Among the topics covered are evidence-based practice, impact of the self-help and support groups, meta-analyses of selected assessment and intervention programs, current theories of stuttering, and the predicted path of stuttering intervention in the future. The authoritative representation of contributors offers the reader the most up to date presentation of fluency issues, with a special emphasis placed on the practical clinical implications of fluency assessment, treatment, and evolving theories of the disorder. The book is written for fluency specialists and graduate students in programs of fluency disorders. It will also be valuable for the clinicians who wish to upgrade their skills in treating fluency disorders.