The effects of actors vocal exercises for relaxation on fluency: A preliminary study.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of treatment based on Kristin Linklater's technique for vocal preparation for performance for use with people who stutter.

Method: A protocol for a treatment for stuttering involving breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and focus on awareness was designed by the first author from Linklater's published exercises in her book Freeing the Natural Voice (2006). Four adults who stutter participated in a 12-week, single-case reversal design study. Treatment efficacy was determined by baseline and post-treatment measures on the OASES, self-report naturalness, tension and severity scale, and percentage of stuttering-like disfluency (SLD). Qualitative measures included a daily tension and practice log, a program completion questionnaire, and accounts from the clinicians administering the treatment protocol.

Results: Three of four participants scored lower on the OASES post-treatment, suggesting that the impact of stuttering on their daily lives had decreased. All four experienced a reduction in the number of SLD counted throughout treatment sessions compared to baseline data.

Conclusion: A treatment for stuttering based on Linklater's work including regulation of breathing, relaxation, and awareness of breath may be effective in improving fluency and decreasing the impact of stuttering and warrants further study.