Language abilities in children who stutter: toward improved research and clinical applications

The nature of the association between language and stuttering in young children has been the focus of debate for many years. One aspect of this ongoing discussion is the status of language abilities in children who stutter (CWS). Available research findings and associated interpretations of these findings are equivocal. This article asserts that an important contributor to the ambiguous nature of this literature may be differences in research traditions and methods that typically have been employed n the study of language development and in the study of stuttering. Cross-disciplinary investigations are inherently complex and, in designing and intterpreting research of this nature, a larger set of issues must be considered and more diverse variables must be aressed and/or controlled. This article presents five prinples that can be used to guide future research in the area language and stuttering. These principles also assist in interpreting and applyng the current research literature to clinical concerns.