Case study of a stuttering junior high school student who recovered from near refusal to attend school -Efficacy of training applying a dual approach consisting of direct speech training and cognitive behavioral therapy

We report the case of a male first-year junior high school student, aged 13, who was close to refusing to attend school because of his stuttering and who visited our hospital in the hope of being completely cured of his stuttering. We simultaneously implemented a dual approach consisting of direct speech training and cognitive behavioral therapy based on a multidimensional model. The direct speech training primarily consisted of training in soft vocal onset, light contact of the articulators, flexible utterance speed, and training to address associated symptoms. To correct the patient's cognition, we had him prepare and use a "stuttering notebook" into which he recorded his knowledge about stuttering, self-evaluation, his target, and his utterance experiences. After 11 treatments over a period of three months, the patient's stuttering eased and he was able to enjoy his life at school and put aside thoughts of refusing to attend. These findings suggest that using a dual approach of simultaneous direct speech training and cognitive behavioral therapy based on a multidimensional model can be effectively used on junior high school students who are on the verge of refusing to attend school because of their stuttering.