ABSTRACT
Speech-language pathologists involved in treating childhood stuttering have increasingly
emphasized the need for parental involvement in intervention. In this article, we
review prevailing theoretical models of stuttering and illustrate various ways in
which these models can be used to guide practitioners in determining how best to include
parents in intervention. We argue that successful parental involvement depends upon
the ability of parents and clinicians to reach consensus on issues such as the parents'
role in the onset and development of stuttering, the rationale for including parents
in fluency intervention, and the importance of early intervention. The article concludes
with a discussion of specific ways that parents can assist in intervention through
modeling, managing conversational pace and complexity, and, in some cases, directly
instructing their children.
KEY WORDS
childhood stuttering - parents - intervention
