Management of child and adolescent stuttering with olanzapine: three case reports

Vast arrays of medications have been used, with limited success, to manage stuttering. Haloperidol and risperidone are the only two medications that have shown efficacy via double-blind studies in controlling stuttering symptoms. We present the first case reports of olanzapine in the management of stuttering. Three case histories are presented: a 10-year-old boy, a 16-year-old male adolescent with developmental stuttering, and a 9-year-old boy with medication-induced stuttering whose symptoms are successfully controlled with olanzapine. These case studies suggest that olanzapine may be a pharmacologic option in the management of stuttering.