In Australia and world-wide, Smooth Speech has the best evidence-base for effective treatment. This means it has the highest proven success rate for reducing stuttering in both the short and long term, as shown by Smooth Speech research. Smooth Speech is also known as Prolonged Speech or Speech Restructuring.

Many Speech Pathologists in Australia use Smooth Speech treatment for teenagers and adults. The Speech Pathologist teaches you how to:

• Change the way you speak
• Start words gently and connect them smoothly
• Pause at the right places
• Practise your new techniques in treatment sessions
• Practise your new techniques between sessions and gain confidence

If you're in Australia, check out the Treatment Contacts for your state.

Smooth Speech treatment can be intensive or weekly:

Intensive Treatment

If it's available in your state, you can do an intensive Smooth Speech treatment program. The intensive treatment usually takes at least 5 days. After that, you return to attend a follow-up session to help maintain your fluency.

Advantages of the intensive treatment are that you can:

• Learn all techniques in a shorter time
• Progress more quickly
• Practise with people your age

Weekly Treatment

You can have Smooth Speech treatment in weekly sessions. Most Speech Pathologists will offer this form of treatment.

Advantages of weekly treatment are:

• Less disruption to your lifestyle and other commitments 23
• More time to practise your techniques between sessions 20
• Cost is spread out over time

New Smooth Speech for Australia - The Camperdown Program

The Camperdown Program is a new Australian stuttering treatment program that teaches Smooth Speech in a non-traditional way 24. Although the program is still new, The Camperdown Program research is good so far and there is more on the way.

The Camperdown Program involves:

• Individual teaching sessions
• Individual problem-solving sessions
• Small-group practice day
• Long-term follow-up phase

The Camperdown Program is designed for adults, but a teenage version is being trialled in 2004-20055.

High-Tech Help for Smooth Speech - EMG Biofeedback Treatment

Biofeedback techniques give the person who stutters electronic feedback about what the speech muscles are doing.

One type of biofeedback is electromyographic (EMG) feedback. With EMG biofeedback treatment, the person receives computer feedback (audio and/or visual) when they stutter, through the use of small electrodes placed on the face or throat. This can help to monitor and reduce muscle tension especially in the lips and voicebox13.

EMG research suggests that EMG biofeedback treatment alone is not enough to treat stuttering. However, it may be useful as an additional treatment together with a proven program like Smooth Speech11.