Risk factors and stuttering: Evaluating the evidence for clinicians

This paper summarizes and discusses some of the key issues raised in the other four manuscripts in this special edition of Journal of Fluency Disorders. All the four pieces examine risk factors in developmental stuttering from different perspectives and all provide stand-alone contributions to knowledge on the subject. Thus, rather than review, the focus of the present paper is to highlight those matters, which, from a clinical perspective might be seen as either (a) of the greatest contention, (b) of particular relevance to clinicians, or (c) requiring greater emphasis in future research, on the basis of the conclusions from the authors involved.Educational objectives: This paper provides an overview of points of particular clinical interest arising from the four contributions to this special edition. Readers will be able to (a) understand arguments for and against whole word repetitions being included as moments of stuttering in the SSI-3 assessment, (b) understand arguments relating to psychological components in early onset stuttering, (c) understand some of the complexities in interpreting data pertaining to recovery from stuttering, (d) understand where future efforts in research into risk of stuttering should be placed.

► Comment is offered on four new papers which impact on the subject of risk factors in developmental stuttering.
► Factors pertaining to risk of ever stuttering as well as risk to persistence of stuttering are discussed.
► Clinical implications relating to technical aspects of the SSI-3 assessment are considered.
► SSI-3 provides an important tool for screening for presence of stuttering in children.
► Suggestions for future research into risk factors and stuttering are made.