Who can join our research?
Your child may be eligible to join our main study if they are between 3-6 years old and do or do not stutter.
What happens after I fill out the survey to enroll in research?
We will contact you via email or phone within one month. During this follow-up, we may ask you some brief questions to determine if your child is a good fit to proceed with participation in our study.
How will this research help people?
We aim to better understand stuttering in young children as they grow. We hope this information will better help speech therapists, pediatricians, and parents to support children who stutter, and will ultimately lead to more effective assessment and therapy approaches.
What does the study involve?
This project involves 2 visits, 1-2 weeks apart, to the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center. Families also participate in yearly follow-up assessments to monitor speech-language development for 3 years.
How long will each visit take?
Each visit takes approximately 1½ to 2 hours.
What can I expect at the visits?
During the first visit, we will complete a series of speech, language, and hearing tests presented in a fun, game-like way. Parents will fill out questionnaires and meet with a certified Speech-Language Pathologist who will ask and answers questions. We will share the results of the speech, language, and hearing tests with you after the tests are completed.
During the second visit, your child will participate in a picture-viewing task and a computer game (“the zoo game”) while wearing a soft hair net with sponges (to collect brain activity) and “stickers” with sensors (to measure heart rate and sweat). You and the experimenter(s) will be present during these activities.
Is treatment or therapy part of participating?
The lab does not provide direct treatment or therapy. We do provide parents with standardized test scores related to their child’s speech-language abilities. We also provide a consultation from a certified speech-language pathologist who can assist you in finding the appropriate services for your child should they need them. During the consultation, the speech-language pathologist can also give general recommendations to support kids who stutter at home.
I’m concerned my child may not want to do the testing or won’t last through a 2-hour long session.
We modify each visit to fit the child’s needs and, when possible, intersperse more interesting activities among the more challenging ones. Our research team members help children to warm up to and feel comfortable in the testing environment. Additionally, during both visits you will have the opportunity to watch your child as they go through the visit procedures, and you may stop the procedure at any time if you feel it is necessary.
When does participation take place (e.g., regular business hours)?
Most appointments are scheduled between the hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and some weekend appointments are available.
I have another child. Can I bring them to the visits, or do I have to arrange childcare?
You can feel free to bring other children to the visits. You will be able to stay with them the whole time. Please let us know in advance if you need any other accommodations or support to participate, and we will do our best to meet your needs.
What's the parking situation like?
There is no charge for patient and visitor parking. Self-parking is in the East Garage and Central Garage, and complimentary valet parking is currently available at the Vanderbilt Clinic. Shuttles also frequent the garages.
Is there any form of transportation available to/from your facilities?
There are several bus routes that service the areas near our lab, and other forms of transportation may be arranged with our scheduling coordinator as needed.