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Re: The Lidcombe Program

From: Ken St. Louis
Date: 10/3/00
Time: 9:13:01 AM
Remote Name: 157.182.12.51

Comments

Hi Andy,

I assume you are a speech-language pathologist or an active leader in the stuttering self-help movement. It sounds like the advice you have been giving stems from the Wendell Johnson diagnosogenic theory of stuttering. (See my letter to Lisa Webb.)

I have not used the Lidcombe Program much yet, but I have been impressed with the data I have seen on its effectiveness. Young children are malleable in lots of ways, so it does not surprise me at all that they can learn new ways of approaching speech that are incompatible with stuttering and struggle and that become "the way they talk" thereafter. It also does not surprise me that many parents can be taught effectively to administer much of the treatment.

Of course, there will always be extenuating circumstances wherein the Lidcombe Program would not be the best choice, e.g., in cases where family members cannot be counted on to carry out the carefully supervised interactions.

I hope this helps.

Ken


Last changed: September 12, 2005