• What are the risk factors for developing stuttering?

• How does a clinician determine whether a disfluent child is at risk for developing a lifelong stuttering problem?

• Why are some disfluent children likely to recover without treatment?

• Which aspects of language formulation or speech production are most likely to influence the occurrence of stuttering on a particular utterance?

• Which measures of speech behavior are most important when evaluating an individual who stutters, and what is the most reliable way to obtain these measures?

• How do we document changes in an individual’s ability to communicate when many of the changes that occur in stuttering therapy are "under the surface" (e.g., changes in feelings and emotions or attitudes toward speaking)?

• How well do various stuttering treatment options work, and how does a clinician determine what type of treatment is best for a specific client?

Pursuing answers to these and other questions is the primary goal of the broad-based research program at the University of Pittsburgh Speech Fluency Laboratory and The Stuttering Center of Western Pennsylvania. Following is a summary of some of the key projects currently underway.

Many treatments for childhood stuttering involve changing certain characteristics of children’s speech. Common treatment strategies involve slowing children's rate of speech, increasing the number and length of pauses they use during conversation, and teaching them to use shorter or syntactically less complex utterances. Similar changes are also encouraged for the parents or other conversational partners to provide a communication model and environment that facilitates fluency.

As part of a broader attempt to evaluate the efficacy of these types of treatments, researcher at the Stuttering Center has been conducting a series of descriptive and experimental studies designed to assess the degree to which direct manipulation of these (para)linguistic aspects of speech production actually influence the likelihood that stuttering will occur on a given utterance. In addition to providing basic information about the source factors that affect the occurrence of stuttering, this series of studies is provides needed information about the value of these commonly used techniques for treating stuttering in clinical settings. This research received funding by a 5-year NIH grant awarded to the University of Pittsburgh.

Current treatments for stuttering in adults are based on finding a balance between improving speakers' fluency through changes to speech production ("fluency modification" techniques) and helping speakers improve their attitudes and feelings about speaking and stuttering to reduce the severity of stuttering events ("stuttering modification" techniques). Ultimately, the goal of treatment is to reduce the overall impact of stuttering on the person's life.

Unfortunately, many of the changes that occur with this type of treatment are difficult to quantify. For example, one reasonable treatment goal for a person who stutters might be increased participation in social activities that the speaker may previously have avoided. Although it is possible to document fluency in different situations, clinicians do not presently have a reliable way to demonstrate reductions in the overall impact of stuttering.

The need for such testing instruments has become increasingly important as the evaluation of treatment outcomes has become even more central to the field of speech-language pathology. Accordingly, we have been field-testing a new broad-based measurement instrument designed to assess the full impact of the stuttering disorder. The instrument, which is based on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, examines aspects such as: (a) the degree of fluency and stuttering the person exhibits, (b) the reactions to stuttering, (c) the impact of the environment on the speaker's ability to communicate, and (d) the overall impact of stuttering on the client's ability to participate in daily activities.

As a result of this research, Dr. Yaruss, along with Dr. Robert Quesal of Western Illinois University, published the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES) through Pearson Assessments in 2008. Information about the OASES is available on the Publications page of this website, on the website of Pearson Assessments, or by clicking here.

This instrument, originally designed for adults, is now being adapted for use with school-age children (7-12 years old, OASES-S) and teens (13-17 years old, OASES-T). This work is being completed in conjunction with Stuttering Center Co-Director Craig Coleman. An article describing the OASES-A, for adults, was published in the Journal of Fluency Disorders. Click here for a link to the article. For more information, please contact Dr. Yaruss directly at jsyaruss@pitt.edu.

We hope that by developing these instruments, we will be able to improve the documentation of the "under-the-surface" changes that occur during stuttering treatment and thereby improve the current status of treatment outcomes research for individuals who stutter.

A Note about Student Involvement

Student involvement is a fundamental aspect of our research program. Students have been involved in all aspects of these investigations, including developing new research ideas, collecting data for original or project studies, learning to use experimental equipment and analyzing data, writing and editing portions of manuscripts, and appearing as co-authors on publications resulting from research in which they have had substantial participation. Students are encouraged to contact J. Scott Yaruss, PhD (phone: 412-383-6538) to discuss any of the projects listed above, or to propose new projects that relate to the theory and clinical practice of fluency disorders.