A feasibility study of the Fluency Trust Residential Course
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Fluency Trust residential speech and language therapy course for young people who stammer: A pragmatic feasibility study.
IRAS ID
239295
Contact name
Jonathan Marsden
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Plymouth
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Title: The Fluency Trust residential speech and language therapy course for young people who stammer: A pragmatic feasibility study.\n\nThe Fluency Trust Residential Course (FTRC) is a speech and language therapy course for adolescents who stammer (www.thefluencytrust.org.uk/courses). The course aims to increase adolescents’ confidence in communicating and to develop positive attitudes towards communication. The proposed research aims to determine the feasibility of conducting a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the course in the future. A feasibility study is a piece of research ‘conducted before a main study to answer the question “Can this study be done?”’ (NIHR, 2017). This research will consider key questions such as: How many participants can be recruited? How many people complete the outcome measures? Is the intervention delivered as described? What are adolescents’ experiences of the course? How do clinicians think a future trial can be conducted? Information will be gathered through a mixture of methods including: observation of the intervention, collection of outcome measure data, and monitoring of participant recruitment/completion of the course. Semi-structured interviews with adolescents will be conducted to explore their experiences of the trial and intervention. Semi-structured interviews with clinicians will be conducted to explore their ideas for future research. \n\nThe FTRC and trial is open to adolescents (10-18 years) who stammer in the UK. Assessment location: Swindon. Residential course location: Appledore, Devon.\n\nIn the twenty-two years it’s been running, the FTRC has received positive feedback and the outcomes appear positive, however, it’s not known if this course is effective. In the future, it’s hoped a well-designed, definitive study will determine if the course has a significant impact upon adolescents who stammer. This will contribute valuable knowledge to the FTRC evidence-base. If the course is deemed effective, it’s hoped more adolescents who stammer could access the course, reducing the negative impacts associated with stammering.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SW/0013
Date of REC Opinion
21 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion