CONFERENCE REPORTER
At the recent STARS Stuttering Treatment and Research Conference, experts emphasized the critical role of interdisciplinary care in treating stuttering, highlighting the need for collaboration across pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, and speech-language pathology.1
“Interdisciplinary care for stuttering is really important because of the complexity of stuttering,” Lisa LaSalle, PhD, professor at California State University, Monterey Bay, told Psychiatric Times in an exclusive interview. She noted that while stuttering is well researched, the field is still working toward making it widely understood.
LaSalle underscored that speech-language pathologists may play a major role in supporting patients, but other specialties are needed for best outcomes. “If I’m working with a child, I want a pediatrician on the team, the primary care physician. When we move into ages where children and teens may be on different medications, we definitely want psychiatry.”
LaSalle explained speech pathologists may draw from psychiatry and psychology to help patients, and they now incorporate approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy into practice. However, there are times when it gets more complicated or when patients have suicidal ideation. In those cases, she is looking to the greater team, especially psychiatrists, for additional support.
As such, LaSalle stressed the importance of bidirectional communication among providers, especially because many patients remain unaware of speech therapy’s role in stuttering.
“Referrals is the key. If they refer to us and we refer to them, then we’re off to a great start.”
She pointed to collaboration with psychiatrist and STARS founder Gerald A. McGuire, MD, on cases where patients on medication needed adjustments and follow-up. “I’ve been able to refer patients who are already on medications to him to look at dosage, to look at the effects, and then to refer back,” she said.
Learning when there is a high risk case is an important part of knowing when to refer, LaSalle added. She explained, biological sex—being male—is a main risk factor. Also, older age of childhood onset, poorer speech sounds (unable to understand the child), if speech sounds are a concomitant, co-occurring conditions, genetic predisposition, and tense stuttering are all indicators of high risk and the need for referrals.
Conferences like STARS provide a critical venue for integrating expertise from pediatricians, psychiatrists, device developers, and basic science researchers, she said. “The more we learn what each other does, the better off we can help people who stutter.”
Reference
1. LaSalle L. A Model for Interdisciplinary Care in Stuttering. Presented at STARS Inaugural Education and Research Conference; Dana Point, California; September 13, 2025.