Epidemiologic and other considerations in treatment efficacy research with preschool age children who stutter

The purpose of this article is to highlight several factors to be considered in treatment efficacy research with preschool-aged children who stutter. It reviews recent research findings that present the onset and characteristics of early childhood stuttering as more complex than has been previously thought, suggesting additional factors for inclusion in treatment research. The article then focuses on epidemiologic data with special reference to recent genetic and longitudinal findings as well as possibilities for subgrouping. The overriding conclusion is that the high and fast rate of recovery dictates rigid control of the recovery factor in studies of treatment efficacy and that all research of preschool-aged children who stutter should control age and postonset interval.