Current status of academic and clinical education in fluency disorders at ASHA-accredited training programs

Numerous studies have indicated that speech-language pathologists do not feel comfortable with their ability to diagnose and treat individuals who stutter. It is often suggested that this is the result of inadequate training; however, there has been relatively little examination of the academic and clinical education in fluency disorders that is currently provided by ASHA-accredited graduate programs. This study surveyed programs about their graduate training in fluency disorders, assessing factors such as the number and nature of courses that are offered and the clinical practicum experiences that are available. Analyses revealed that the majority of surveyed programs do require coursework on stuttering, though nearly one-fifth allow students to graduate without a class on stuttering and more than one-half of programs allow students to graduate without clinical experience in stuttering. Furthermore, one-half of responding programs reduced their academic or clinical requirements following ASHA's elimination of training requirements in fluency disorders in 1993. Results provide one likely explanation for the finding that clinicians feel less confident working with people who stutter. Analysis also revealed a bias toward greater representation of programs with a faculty member belonging to ASHA's Special Interest Division for Fluency Disorders. As a result, present results may overestimate the training that is actually provided in the field as a whole. Findings emphasize the need for far-reaching discussion about appropriate academic and clinical education in fluency disorders and provide a strong argument for the reinstatement of credible, meaningful education requirements in ASHA-accredited training programs. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.