Stuttering, the most common fluency disorder, is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by specific types of disfluencies, including

• repetitions of sounds, syllables, and monosyllabic words (e.g., “Look at the b-b-baby,” “Let’s go out-out-out”);
• prolongations of consonants when it isn’t for emphasis (e.g., “Ssssssssometimes we stay home”); and
• blocks (i.e., inaudible or silent fixation or inability to initiate sounds).

These disfluencies can affect the rate and rhythm of speech and may be accompanied by

• negative reactions to speaking;
• avoidance behaviors (i.e., avoidance of sounds, words, people, or situations that involve speaking);
• escape behaviors, such as secondary mannerisms (e.g., eye blinking and head nodding or other movements of the extremities, body, or face); and
• physical tension.

How to Do a Stuttering Assessment:

Stuttering Assessment Step 1:
Evaluate General Foundations for Fluent Communication

• • Determine if concomitant speech, language, hearing disorders exist
  • Use hearing screening, speech and voice eval, language eval

Stuttering Assessment Step 2:
Obtain Background Information

• • Determine perceptions of fluency problem by parents, family, teachers, and client
  • Determine impact of fluency disorder on social, academic, and work performance
  • Use interviews, case history, reports from other professionals and family members

Stuttering Assessment Step 3:
Perform Published Testing on Overt and Covert Features

• • Determine if a problem exists, what kind of problem, and its severity by comparing client’s scores to standardized norms
  • Determine communication attitudes and self-concept
  • Use standardized tests

Stuttering Assessment Step 4:
Perform Non-Standardized Testing

• • Determine overt behavior features of speech disfluency (type, frequency, core behaviors, speech rates)
  • Explore use of covert and struggle features
  • See how responsive the child is to different techniques or types of therapy
  • Use to determine direction and method of treatment
  • Do this through analysis of a speech sample using a variety of behavioral observations and rate calculations
  • Be sure to talk about emotions and communication attitudes during this to probe deeper into emotional implications

Stuttering Assessment Step 5:
Evaluate Relevant Environments

• • Determine total resources for treatment
  • Look for obstacles to success in academic or social areas
  • Do this through an assessment of home environment and classroom demands

Source:

Diagnosis and Evaluation in Speech Pathology (Seventh Edition) by William O. Haynes and Rebekah H. Pindzola