Contemporary issues with stuttering: The Fourth Croatia Stuttering Symposium

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Clinical psychology
• Pediatric healthcare

Background:

• Stuttering management requires effective intervention for both early and persistent forms.
• Current practices face challenges in evidence-based translation and standardized training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document contemporary clinical issues in early and persistent stuttering management.
• To identify key discussion points from the Fourth Croatia Clinical Symposium.

Main Methods:

• A written record of discussions from the 2019 Fourth Croatia Clinical Symposium was prepared.
• Key contemporary clinical issues were identified by speech-language pathologists, scholars, and researchers.

Main Results:

• Seven contemporary issues in stuttering management emerged from the symposium.
• Discussions covered intervention timing, evidence-based practice barriers, and anxiety concerns for early stuttering.
• Assessment, bullying strategies, and cognitive-behavior therapy roles were discussed for persistent stuttering.

Conclusions:

• There is no consensus on optimal timing and management for early stuttering intervention.
• Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are well-positioned to deliver cognitive-behavior therapy for persistent stuttering.
• Concerns exist regarding discipline standards for professional stuttering management preparation.