Practical Intervention for Early Childhood Stammering

Elaine Kelman and Alison Nicholas are specialist speech and language therapists at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children in London. They have contributed to the development of the various therapy programmes for children who stammer at the Centre, particularly the management of early childhood stammering. They have led and contributed to a range of publications and have participated in the Centre's national and international training programme. They have also been involved in the Centre's research programme, which includes developing the evidence base of therapy for early stammering.

Therapy for young children who stammer is now high priority, with growing research evidence supporting early intervention. This manual from the Michael Palin Centre for stammering Children (MPC) is a detailed, step-by-step guide intended to support general and specialist speech and language therapists in developing their confidence and skills in working with this age group.


This manual is based on a strong theoretical framework which explains the factors contributing to the onset and development of stammering and describes recent research findings regarding the nature of stammering in this age group. It provides a comprehensive guide to the assessment process and helps to identify which children are likely to recover naturally and which are at risk of developing a persistent stammering problem. The therapy approach has been successfully tried and tested at the Michael Palin Centre, and the manual provides detailed descriptions of the therapy process.It also includes a supporting CD-Rom and photocopiable resources such as assessment and therapy forms and parents' handouts.


The MPC approach is a combination of indirect therapy methods. The indirect therapy component is aimed at helping parents through the use of video feedback, to identify interaction strategies that support their child's fluency and enhance it in the home environment. In addition the approach addresses other concerns, for example, in relation to confidence building, dealing with sensitive children, and establishing clear structures and boundaries to enhance family relationships.


For children at increased risk of persistence, this manual incorporates a direct therapy programme which involves teaching the child strategies for developing fluency. This manual disseminates the MPC's specialist therapy knowledge and research findings, and is an invaluable guide for all speech and language therapists and students working with stammering.