Dual tasking and stuttering: from the laboratory to the clinic

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of the three studies in this article was to develop a way to include dual tasking in speech restructuring treatment for persons who stutter (PWS). It is thought that this may help clients maintain the benefits of treatment in the real world, where attentional resources are frequently diverted away from controlling fluency by the demands of other tasks.

Method. In Part 1, 17 PWS performed a story-telling task and a computer semantic task simultaneously. Part 2 reports the incorporation of the Part 1 protocol into a handy device for use in a clinical setting (the Dual Task and Stuttering Device, DAS-D). Part 3 is a proof of concept study in which three PWS reported on their experiences of using the device during treatment.

Results. In Part 1, stuttering frequency and errors on the computer task both increased under dual task conditions, indicating that the protocol would be appropriate for use in a clinical setting. All three participants in Part 3 reported positively on their experiences using the DAS-D.

Conclusions. Dual tasking during treatment using the DAS-D appears to be a viable clinical procedure. Further research is required to establish effectiveness.

Keywords:

• Stuttering
• treatment
• dual tasking

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the participants of Studies 1 and 3.

Declaration of interest: This research was supported by Program Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.