Therapy planning for school-age children who stutter

This article offers principles to consider in developing therapy plans for school-age children who stutter. Goals of speech therapy should be individualized, educationally relevant, and lead to functional outcomes that last. Skills and experiences gained through speech therapy should help children communicate effectively and develop positive attitudes about themselves as communicators. A variety of collaborative planning tools are presented to help IEP team members prioritize needs based on relative importance of behavioral, cognitive, and affective aspects of the stuttering problem from the perspective of the child, parents, and teachers. Strategies are included for overcoming some of the specific challenges inherent in therapy planning and goal setting for this population.