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From: Nan Ratner
Date: 04 Oct 2006
Time: 10:27:38 -0500
Remote Name: 129.2.25.203
In the United States, ASHA has analyzed this question. Almost all certified SLPs see stuttering, but stuttering is the least "frequent" disorder they see, about 1 client per person reported in the surveys. To answer the first question as well, I think there is a mismatch between the population of people who stutter and knowledge of resources. If a clinic does treat stuttering, and is listed with referral agencies such as ASHA, the Speciality Recognition program, or the Stuttering Foundation, to list a few, they can get quite inundated - we have a waiting list, rather than a shortage of people our students can work with. But if there is not a University supervisor with interest in fluency, I am not sure that programs are visible enough to attract potential clients. Finally, stuttering is low enough incidence that in small schools, where about half the ASHA membership works, perhaps only one child stutters. Whether or not this child is brought to the SLP's attention may be complicated by how much the parent or child is interested in therapy, how experienced or willing the school SLP is, etc. But clearly, the incidence numbers don't match the caseload data. We believe there is a tremendous under-referral problem out there.