A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Perceptions of Parents and Children Participating in the Lidcombe Program for...

Introduction: The Lidcombe Program for early stuttering is one of the most evidence-based treatment methods practiced by speech and language therapists worldwide. Our phenomenological study was the first to explore the perceptions of Turkish parents and children based on their lived experiences of participating in the Lidcombe Program in Ankara, Turkiye.

We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eight Turkish parents and six of their children after the end of stage 1 of the Lidcombe Program. We interpreted the changes and challenges perceived by parents and children (excluding improvements in speech fluency) using reflexive thematic analysis grounded in the constructionist paradigm.

Four primary themes and their constituent subthemes provided sufficient empirical evidence to provide answers to four research questions. (1) "Changes perceived by parents after the Lidcombe Program" included the loss of doubtful or negative feelings about their children's stuttering, improved duration of playing games with their children, increased frequency of praise they gave to their children, and better communication with their children and other family members. (2) "Challenges perceived by parents in the Lidcombe Program" included their other children's inability to participate in therapy or home practices. (3) The positive effects of the Lidcombe Program on children included increased socialization, self-confidence, school success, and overall happiness. (4) "Children's perceptions of the Lidcombe Program" included liking the program, coming to the therapy sessions with their parents, playing games with and receiving praise from their parents; however, the children disliked parental requests for self-correction. The perceptions of the Turkish participants are compared to the more variable perceptions of Lidcombe Program participants in other countries.

The Lidcombe Program was generally perceived positively by Turkish parents and children, with benefits extending beyond fluency to emotional well-being, family interaction, and children's confidence. Challenges such as sibling involvement and children's resistance to self-correction highlight the need for culturally and contextually sensitive adaptations. These findings underscore the importance of including both parental and child perspectives when evaluating early stuttering interventions.