Anxiety is a common psychological concomitant of stuttering in adolescents and adults seeking stuttering treatment. The relationship between anxiety and early stuttering however is less clear. Consequently, best practice regarding assessment, identification, and management of anxious symptoms in preschool children who stutter is unclear to speech pathologists. This presentation will provide an overview of research that has examined early stuttering and anxiety to date. The Early Language in Victoria Stuttering Study – the only prospective longitudinal study to date - demonstrated that anxious symptoms are not associated with stuttering onset. Considering this finding, anxiety must therefore emerge in response to the experience of stuttering. Other studies however have demonstrated elevated anxious symptoms in preschool children close to stuttering onset. While findings regarding the relationship between early stuttering and anxiety are inconclusive, two things are clear. Stuttering does not adversely affect every preschool child who stutters. The potential psychological impact of stuttering can however emerge close to onset. Preliminary evidence suggests that early stuttering interventions may be psychologically beneficial. Speech pathologists can also assist families to manage their child’s anxious symptoms. This presentation will discuss methods speech pathologists can use to screen all preschool children who stutter for anxious symptoms to ensure that the most appropriate treatment plan is implemented for each child to maximize stuttering and psychological outcomes. Management approaches designed to address the emergence of anxious symptoms which fall within a speech pathologists scope of practice will be also be discussed.

Stuttering does not adversely affect every preschool child who stutters however the potential psychological impact of stuttering can emerge close to onset.
Preliminary evidence suggests that early stuttering interventions may be psychologically beneficial.
Speech pathologists can integrate assessment and management of anxious symptoms into their clinical practice with preschool children who stutter.