The Efficacy of Phonological Processing Treatments on Stuttering Severity in Persian Pre-school Children

  Correct phonological encoding is crucial to fluent speech production. Phonological working memory and phonological awareness are important phonological processes that affect phonological encoding. Studies have shown weakness in phonological encoding in people who stutter. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of phonological processing on stuttering severity of Persian pre-school children. Six children who stutter participated in a 13-session treatment protocol. The treatment protocol of the phonological processing included nonword repetition in the phonological working memory and phonological awareness therapy. Stuttering severity measurement was performed pre- and post-treatment. Stuttering severity score was compared in pre- and post-treatment, and in the follow-up phase; that showed stuttering severity was reduced in children who stutter. Moreover, severity rating, reported by parents during treatment, showed a reduction in stuttering severity. The poor performance of phonological awareness and phonological working memory in phonological processing affect stuttering severity. The outcomes of this study showed that treatment of sub-systems of phonological processing can play a role in reducing stuttering severity.