Executive function and childhood stuttering: Parent ratings and evidence from a behavioral task

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Executive functions (EF) are crucial for cognitive and behavioral regulation.
• Stuttering, a disorder of speech fluency, may be associated with underlying cognitive differences.
• Preschool years are a critical period for EF development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate executive function (EF) abilities in preschool children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS).
• To compare EF performance between CWS and CWNS using parent reports and behavioral tasks.

Main Methods:

• Participants included 75 children who stutter (CWS) and 75 children who do not stutter (CWNS), aged 3 to 5 years.
• Parental ratings of EF were collected using the BRIEF-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P).
• Children's EF, including cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory, was assessed using the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) task.

Main Results:

• Parents rated CWS as less proficient in working memory, shift/flexibility, and overall EF compared to CWNS.
• CWS were 2.5 to 7 times more likely to exhibit clinically significant EF difficulties.
• Three-year-old CWS performed worse on the HTKS task than their CWNS peers.

Conclusions:

• Children who stutter (CWS) experience greater executive function (EF) challenges in daily life.
• Early delays in integrating attention and EF may be present in CWS compared to CWNS.