Efficacy of a parent-child program for 3- to 6-year-old children with stuttering: a retrospective controlled wait-list group study

We evaluated the efficacy of Frankini, an early parent-child program that integrates online parent counseling and training with speech restructuring both in-person and in telehealth settings to reduce stuttering severity and enhance interaction styles that support fluency. This retrospective nonrandomized trial included all cases participating in the parent-child program between September 2019 and November 2023. Eligible cases were divided into early and delayed groups by median split to simulate a wait-list-controlled study, matched on key characteristics, differing only in the timing of the first direct intervention. Of the 79 participants, 42 completed the first two modules of the intervention, and 30 completed all modules. The 12-month Frankini intervention consisted of an online module with indirect parental training, followed by two hybrid modules of speech restructuring. The primary outcomes were the Stuttering Severity Index score, parental severity rating and 10-item parent report. At 9 months post-baseline, the early group showed reduced stuttering severity, while the delayed group showed no change, with a mean difference of -8.33 95%CI [-12.98, -3.68], p < 0.001, with d = -1.14. By 12 months, both groups showed reductions, and there was no further group difference with -3.37 95%CI [-8.23, 1.50], p = 0.168 and d = -0.48. Parent ratings mirrored objective measures; that is, they showed a significant reduction after each hybrid module. Early parent-child intervention significantly improved speech fluency in preschoolers and enhanced parents’ confidence in managing stuttering, supporting the benefits of starting treatment long before 6 years of age.

Trial Registration: DRKS00034731 .