A Three-case Study on the Effectiveness of Syllabic-timed Method on Treating Stuttering in Children with Down Syndrome

Background and Objective: About 42–59 % of subjects with Down syndrome have stuttering. Although stuttering can be influenced by the language and cognitive disorders common in Down syndrome, the exact nature of stuttering is unknown. There is little data about stuttering therapy interventions in Down syndrome and this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of syllabic-timed method on three subjects with Down syndrome. Subjects and Methods: Three subjects with Down syndrome who had stuttering participated in this study. Syllable-timed speech and gestures were used as interventions. Stuttering severity and type were calculated before, immediately after, and three weeks after the intervention. By use of SPSS-16, K-related sample test applied to analyze the data. Results: Stuttering severity reduced after the intervention but this was not significant (P=0.06). The stuttering type value decreased after the intervention but this was also not significant (P=0.05). Conclusion: Syllable-timed speech and gestural cues could not significantly reduce the stuttering severity and stuttering type value. The studied subjects could not to maintain and generalize this therapeutic method.