Abstract
Background and Objectives: Stuttering is a motor disorder that disrupts the fluent and connected speech flow and appears with different severity. The aim of this investigation was to explore the efficacy of prolonged speech technique in treating persons with severe stuttering.
Materials and Methods: Thirty patients subjects with severe stuttering (8 to 14 years), received 20 sessions of speech therapy with prolonged speech technique. The control group consisted of 30 subjects with stuttering who did not receive the intervention stuttering severity was assessed by Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI-3) before intervention, and immediately 4 months after intervention program. The results were analyzed.
Results: A significant difference was observed between stuttering severity before and immediately after intervention (P=0.0001). There was also a significant difference between stuttering severity, before and at 4 months after intervention (P=0.0001). Those difference did not observe in control group (P>0.05).
Conclusion: The results showed that prolonged speech technique is a efficient treatment method for individuals with severe stuttering and these individuals could maintain high levels of speech fluency even 4 months after intervention.