Telepractice resilience training for children who stutter: A single-arm pre-post feasibility study

To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary clinical signals of a 12-session resilience program delivered via telepractice for children who stutter (CWS), with emphasis on resilience and stuttering-related impact.

A single-arm pre-post pilot/feasibility study was conducted with six CWS and caregivers. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment, retention, procedural viability, and acceptability. Primary outcomes were Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised (CYRM-R) total score and Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering-School-Age (OASES-S) total impact score. Secondary outcomes were Stuttering Severity Instrument-Fourth Edition (SSI-4) scores and percent stuttered syllables (%SS).

Feasibility benchmarks were met, including 83% retention (5/6), smooth synchronous delivery, and high caregiver acceptability. CYRM-R scores increased at the group level (median 67 pre, 76 post; median paired change +8.5; exact p = .156; rank-biserial r ≈ 0.71), with 4/6 participants exceeding a distribution-based threshold (≥0.5 SD) for meaningful improvement. OASES-S total impact showed no group-level median change (exact p = .157); 2/5 improved meaningfully and 3/5 were stable. Exploratory domain analyses showed the largest standardized improvement in Section III, Communication in Daily Situations (r ≈ -0.77; exact p = .083). SSI-4 outcomes showed small, non-significant declines, consistent with a resilience-focused rather than fluency-focused program.

Telepractice-delivered resilience training for CWS was feasible and acceptable. Outcomes were directionally consistent with increased resilience and possible improvement in daily communication impact. These preliminary findings support a larger controlled trial.