I recently read the e-book What Stuttering Treatments Are Effective? by Thomas David Kehoe.

This is a survey of more than 200 scientific reviews of therapy approaches, mechanical devices or software and medication. Kehoe makes no attempt to state which approach is best. Instead, he just makes evidence-based research available for the reader in an easy-to-read manner. We are then free to draw our own conclusions.

This survey considers research and approaches from many different countries. The author also separates therapeutic approaches geared toward children who stutter from those geared more towards adolescents and adults who stutter.

Kehoe sprinkles in his own opinions of what has worked for him, and includes a review of a product manufactured by his own company, Casa Futura Technologies.

One of the reasons Kehoe offers this overview of scientific reviews is his concern that most non-profit stuttering organizations do not indicate on their web sites what types of therapeutic approaches are out there for consumers and SLPs. He also shares that at a recent stuttering conference, he heard a young adult comment that most speech therapy approaches are “hit or miss.”

The stuttering organizations do not include specific treatment information on their websites so that they don’t promote or favor one treatment approach over another.

Kehoe’s main premise is that there needs to be more dollars spent on stuttering research, so that consumers and professionals can choose approaches based on evidence based outcomes.

His work also includes testimonials from consumers who have used various approaches, although many happen to be reviewed by the same person (Paul from Norway.)

I have only personally participated in one type of therapy approach reviewed in this survey – traditional fluency shaping  – which I did not find helpful. I tried that for the first time as an adult in my 40’s.

Evidenced based research on stuttering treatment would be helpful if I was looking to invest time and money in a specific therapeutic approach today. There are so many different approaches advertised today, and not all can be trusted. Social media has given rise to increased scams and promises of “quick fixes” and “cures.”

If you are interested in a straightforward review of stuttering treatment approaches, you might find this helpful. And you might conclude, as I do, that more research is definitely needed in the area of stuttering treatment.