Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2012
Stuttering is a speech motor disorder that begins in the first years of life and if not treated effectively can have catastrophic effects on the individual. This article briefly describes the disorder, and overviews treatment of stuttering in preschool children. Such treatment is considered far preferable to treatment in adolescence and adulthood. Evidence of the effectiveness of early stuttering treatment from clinical trials is overviewed, along with clinical benchmarks for such treatment. Epidemiological data showing considerable natural recovery are reviewed, and the implications of those data for the timing of early stuttering intervention are considered.