The Lidcombe Programme is a speech and language intervention for families with a child aged 3 to 6 years with a diagnosed stuttering problem. It is delivered by speech and language therapists to children for a period of between 6 and 12 months.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
3 to 6 years old
Individual
The Lidcombe Programme is a speech and language intervention targeting children aged between 3 and 6 years with a diagnosed stuttering problem.
The intervention is delivered by qualified speech and language therapists who are trained to use the manualised Lidcombe protocol. It is delivered in two stages that are determined by the child’s progress with a typical period of treatment lasting between 6 and 12 months.
During stage one, parents attend weekly visits where they are coached in strategies in responding appropriately to periods of stutter-free speech and unambiguous stuttering. Parents are expected to set aside time to work with their child on a daily basis, as well as to develop strategies for everyday interactions. Stage two begins once the child’s stuttering has disappeared or dropped to a very low level. At this point, clinic visits are reduced but not stopped so that parents can learn maintenance strategies should the stuttering reappear.
3 to 6 years
Young children aged 3 to 6 years with a diagnosed stuttering problem
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Stuttering in children typically occurs between the ages of 2 and 5.
Science-based assumption
Parents can reduce the incidence of stuttering in their children through verbal and non-verbal behaviour, designed to encourage fluent speech.
Science-based assumption
Children aged 3 to 6 years old with an identified stuttering problem.
Intervention
Parents learn how to praise and acknowledge stutter-free speech, acknowledge unambiguous stuttering, and encourage their children to correct themselves when they stutter.
Short-term
Parents are better able to encourage fluent speech without causing their child distress.
Medium-term
Children’s verbal ability improves.
Long-term
Stuttering is reduced.
Young children aged 3 to 6 with a diagnosed stuttering problem.
The Lidcombe Programme is delivered in 16 sessions of 45 to 60 minutes’ duration each by one speech language therapist, speech pathologist or speech-language pathologist, to individual families.
The intervention starts with a structured conversation that is designed to facilitate stutter-free speech. This allows the parent the opportunity to present plenty of positive verbal reinforcement to encourage fluent speech.
The first stage of the intervention consists of training sessions at home where they are taught how to respond appropriately to encourage fluent speech.
When parents have been observed practising the various behaviours designed to encourage stutter-free speech, the conversations progress to less structured conversations outside the training sessions and outside the home.
The practitioner who delivers this intervention is a speech and language therapist, speech pathologist, or speech-language pathologist.
The practitioners have 14 hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one host agency supervisor.
Information not available.
Email address: asrc@uts.edu.au
Website: https://lidcombeprogram.org/
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
The Lidcombe Programme’s most rigorous evidence comes from two RCTs conducted in New Zealand and Germany consistent with Foundations’ Level 2 evidence strength threshold.
Children in the intervention group showed statistically significant reductions in stuttering at post-intervention.
The Lidcombe Programme has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 8 |
| Studies reviewed | 2 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 2 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 6 |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sample characteristics | 54 children aged 3 to 6 years living in New Zealand who have an identified stuttering problem |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | Not reported |
| Population risk factors | Not reported |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Reduced stuttering |
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Jones, M., Onslow, M., Packman, A., Williams, S., Ormond, T., Schwarz, I. & Gebski, V. (2005) Randomised controlled trial of the Lidcombe programme of early stuttering intervention. British Medical Journal. 331 (7518), 659. |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | Germany |
| Sample characteristics | 46 children aged 3 to 6 years living in Germany who have an identified stuttering problem for six months of longer |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | Not reported |
| Population risk factors | Not reported |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Reduced stuttering |
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Lattermann, C., Euler, H. A. & Neumann, K. (2008) A randomized control trial to investigate the impact of the Lidcombe Program on early stuttering in German-speaking pre-schoolers. Journal of Fluency Disorders. 33 (1), 52–65. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Arnott, S., Onslow, M., O’Brian, S., Packman, A., Jones, M. & Block, S. (2014) Group Lidcombe program treatment. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. 57, 1606–1618. This reference refers to a randomised controlled trial, conducted in Australia.
Franken, M. J., Kielstra-Van der Schaika, C. J. & Boelens, H. (2005) Experimental treatment of early stuttering: A preliminary study. Journal of Fluency Disorders. 30, 189–199. This reference refers to a randomised controlled trial, conducted in the Netherlands.
Jones, M., Onslow, M., Packman, A., Williams, S., Ormond, T., Schwarz, I. & Gebski, V. (2005) Randomised controlled trial of the Lidcombe programme of early stuttering intervention. BMJ. 331 (7518), 659. This reference refers to a randomised controlled trial, conducted in New Zealand.
Lattermann, C., Euler, H.A. and Neumann, K. (2007) A randomized control trial to investigate the impact of the Lidcombe Program on early stuttering in German-speaking pre-schoolers. Journal of Fluency Disorders. 33, 52–65. This reference refers to a randomised controlled trial, conducted in Germany.
Lewis, C., Packman, A., Onslow, M., Simpson, J. M. & Jones, M. (2008) A Phase II trial of telehealth delivery of the Lidcombe Program of Early Stuttering Intervention. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 17, 139–149. This reference refers to a randomised controlled trial.
O’Brian, S., Iverach, L., Jones, M., Onslow, M., Packman, A. & Menzies, R. (2013) Effectiveness of the Lidcombe Program for early stuttering in Australian community clinics. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 15, 593–603. This reference refers to a quasi-experimental design, conducted in Australia.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
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Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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