Innovation of Speech Hand Synchronization as a Treatment in Adults who Stutter Abdulaziz Almudhi * Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia * Corresponding author: Abdulaziz Almudhi, Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel: 00966114693558; E-mail: aalmudhi@ksu.edu.sa Received date: March 04, 2016, Accepted date: May 16, 2016, Published date: May 24, 2016 Copyright: © 2016 Almudhi A, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract Objective: Stuttering is a complex communication and developmental speech disorder wherein forward flow of speech is interrupted by sound repetitions, words, prolongation of sounds and psychological and social effects. Most of the therapeutic approaches may focus more on cognitive, behavioral or psychological therapy. The aim of this study was to innovate the novel stuttering therapy procedure and to evaluate its efficiency in adults who stutters in accomplishing spontaneous fluent speech. Methods: The current proposal was designed as the pilot study and the participants were selected based on 3 treatment groups i.e., (i) speech-hand synchronization (SHS) (ii) Camperdown programme (CP) and (iii) control group CG). The equal number (n=10) of participants were selected in all the 3 groups and treatment sessions was carried out for 50 minutes per day for 10 weeks (5 days/week). Results: The stuttering severity instrument-4 was used to measure the scores of pre and post treatment. The overall, assessment of the speakers’ experience of stuttering, locus of control of behavior and speech satisfaction rating scale. Conclusion: The results of the current study conclude non-significant alterations and huge similar outcomes within the SHS and CP groups. This could be due to difference in the superior programme between SHS and CP, in terms of fluency, participants quality of life and satisfaction and internal locus of control. Keywords: Adults who stutter; Speech-Hand Synchronization; Person who stutters; Stuttering; Camperdown programme; Treatment; Hand movement Introduction Stuttering is a multifactorial communication disorder that interrupts the forward fow of Speech production and in phonological working memory may be one of the factors that contribute to the difculties in persons who stutter have establishing and maintaining fuent speech, particularly when presented with cognitively demanding tasks [1]. Te growth in the stuttering appears during the initial school i.e. between 2-4 years and stuttering can be quite variable, especially in childhood. It is quite varying between the children and in adults may be due to the diference in the speaking context [2]. Person who stutter (PWS) may fnd variability discouraging because they do not always know when a moment of stuttering will occur. Tey are given false hope when they experience moments of increased fuency and are disheartened when they are more disfuent [3]. Te theoretical background to the new stuttering therapy procedure which is called speech hand synchronization (SHS). Tis approach combines speech restructuring and cognitive approaches. It is a combination of fuency shaping constructs with non-speech motor gestures to help adults who stutters (AWS) achieve spontaneous fuent speech. Tis study also focuses to determine the efectiveness of this therapy in terms of fuency, improve quality of life of participants, internal locus of control and participants satisfaction. Te SHS approach combines approaches from various diferent disciplines: speech and language pathology, neurology, psychology and self- improvement strategy, and a number of diferent therapeutic initiatives are implicated, namely Fluency Shaping (FS) [4], Gesture [5,6], Cognitive and Coping [7-9], Habits [10,11], Self-evaluation and problem-solving [12]. Te SHS approach is a Saudi Arabian programme developed in 2005 at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City National Guard Hospital in Riyadh city. Te SHS approach was initially tested with school-age individuals who stuttered, 1 year of therapy managed to reduce their overall stuttering [13]. Te uniqueness of this approach lies in synchronization of hand movements (HM) with non- speech motor gestures, thus facilitating the learning of a new and improved fuency of speech. Te creation and development of the Camperdown programme (CP) was notably not encouraged through a causal theory [14,15], but rather following an assessment of a sound empirical study; thus, as such studies continue to be conducted, the CP and its corresponding manual will be updated and amended so as to take into consideration any newly drawn conclusions. Furthermore, a number of diferent publications also report directly on the CP [16], who deliver data surrounding the development and rationale of the programme. A number of efcacy trials have been published surrounding the treatment, such as Phase-I, Phase-II Phase-III and clinical trials development [14,15,17,18], considering medium-to long-term follow- AlmudhI, J Speech Pathol Ther 2016, 1:2 DOI: 10.4172/2472-5005.1000111 Research Article Open Access J Speech Pathol Ter ISSN:2472-5005, An Open Access Journal Volume 1 • Issue 2 • 1000111 J o u r n a l o f S p ee c h P a t h o l o g y & T h e r a p y ISSN: 2472-5005 Journal of Speech Pathology & Therapy