The Lidcombe program of early stuttering intervention: mothers' experiences

The Lidcombe Program is a behavioral treatment for early stuttering which is implemented by parents, typically the mother. Despite this, there is limited detailed knowledge about mothers' experiences of administering the treatment. This article describes the findings of a qualitative study which explored the experiences of 16 mothers during their implementation of the Lidcombe Program. Information was collected using semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face and telephone interviews. Participants were interviewed pre-treatment, and then regularly throughout the 6-month treatment period. Data were collected from nine interviews conducted with each participant. All interviews (n=140) were audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to identify major issues and topics which emerged from the data. Practicalities of implementing the program are reported, including obstacles that mothers faced and solutions to address these. Positive aspects that mothers experienced through their involvement are discussed. The mothers' perceptions of the treatment are outlined and descriptions of the emotions mothers reported are also presented. Findings from the study will enable clinicians to better deliver the Lidcombe Program and will enable improved course instruction and clinical education about the procedure.

The reader will be able to (1) describe the key components of the Lidcombe Program, (2) describe the rationale and methodology for this study, (3) outline the major findings regarding the mothers' experiences of the Lidcombe Program, (4) describe how the findings can be implemented in a clinical setting and (5) evaluate the strengths and limitations of a qualitative study.