Effectiveness of integrated cognitive - speech approaches to the treatment of adult stuttering

Stuttering is a communication disorder with a controversial and multifaceted etiology in the patients` mental and/or motor impairment. These problems cause an unbalancing within the natural flow of speech, which consequences the stutterers` behavioral, cognitive and attitude changes. The main aim of this survey was to investigate the effectiveness of integrated cognitive- speech approaches in alleviating the adults` stutter. This was a quasi-experimental research. We selected conveniently 38 stuttering clients (males=30 and female=8), ages between 18-30 years (M= 24 years), from the Tehran city and its suburb`s speech therapy centers. Subsequently, we divided them into case (n=19) and control (n=19) groups. Case group and control group were participated respectively by integrated approach and fluency shaping approach. We tested the severity of stuttering (SSI-3) by implementing the characteristics of stuttering such as frequency, duration and physical behavior. We also tested their cognitive aspects by applying the Wright and Ayre Stuttering Scale Profile (WASSP) for the measurements of the client`s internal properties of cognition, attitude and feeling. Statistical tests of Kolomogorov-Smirnov and Multivariate were used for data analysis. Outcome showed there is a significant difference between the case and control groups (001/ 0>P) According to our research findings, we found the speech recognition integration and its method may be more effective in therapy of such patients.