TreatPaCS: Treatment for Preschool age Children who Stutter

TreatPaCS is mapping the effect of three therapy arms for stuttering preschoolers. To do so, we are recruiting speech therapists in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia and 250 preschoolers.

Interessegebied: Health and Care

Looptijd: 1/12/2021 - 1/03/2026

Financing: Andere

Three forms of therapy against stuttering

There is evidence that stuttering reduces or disappears with treatment at an early age. Therapy makes parents and child feel more at ease if stuttering is permanent. Waiting for spontaneous recovery of stuttering may take a while, but is not a responsible choice with the known evidence.

In Belgium, Mini-KIDS , Lidcombe Programme and Social Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (SCGT) are mainly used. However, there is no evidence for Mini-KIDS and SCGT via peer-reviewed publications.

Comparison of therapy forms

TreatPaCS compares the three therapy arms in a multicentre non-commercial academic trial. 250 children will be randomised to follow one of these therapies.

We expect to demonstrate that after 18 months, the three therapy arms are equally successful in terms of fluency, QOL and attitude towards communication in parents and child. In addition, we hope to discover profiles in children that make a particular therapy arm more or less suitable. In function of RIZIV and INAMI, we also compare the cost and duration of the three therapy arms.

Schedule

This trial runs for 4 years, recruitment starts in April 2021 and runs for 18 months. There is follow-up 2 years after the end of therapy. There is also follow-up outside the trail after 5 years.

Partners

The Knowledge Centre provides the budget. Thomas More Hogeschool Antwerp is the contract research organisation and is chief investigator. Arteveldehogeschool and Université De Liège are the co-researchers. More than 30 therapists in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia carry out the treatments and collect the data.