ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the fluency education needs and perceptions of speech-language pathology students attending American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) accredited programs at universities in the United States. Previous studies have shown that practicing speech-language pathologists lack knowledge pertaining specifically to assessment and treatment of fluency disorders. We were interested in determining what information students were learning with regard to fluency disorders, and the amount of clinical exposure that students received during their college careers. Methods: A 70-question survey was sent to 258 professors who teach fluency disorders courses in accredited Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) programs. The professors were asked to forward the survey to their students. Data from 766 responding students from 102 different universities were collected. Results: Results indicated that as speech-language pathology students advance through their education, their knowledge and comfort levels increase when assessing and treating fluency disorders. Graduate students, however, reported not having adequate knowledge with regard to administering assessment tests or differentiating between various types of treatment. Conclusions: Systematic training in specific aspects of assessment and treatment of fluency disorders, along with the restructuring of fluency disorders coursework is needed. Increased exposure to fluency disorders continues to be needed for speech-language pathology students at the university level to successfully serve this population.