Sudėtinga mikčiojimo dinamika, skirtingas šio sutrikimo poveikis komunikacijai ir socialiniam dalyvavimui, aktualizuoja individualius mikčiojančio asmens poreikius atitinkančių pagalbos būdų ir jų derinimo galimybių, aktyvaus mikčiojančiojo ir jo šeimos narių dalyvavimo ugdymo(si) procese, logopedų kompetencijos tobulinimo, mokslinį diskursą. Naujos švietimo politikos, inkliuzinio ugdymo realybės kontekste, išryškėja teorinio ir metodinio pobūdžio, pagalbos mikčiojantiems vaikams, probleminiai klausimai. Disertaciniame tyrime siekiama išsiaiškinti kaip derinami skirtingi logopedinės pagalbos būdai, atsižvelgiant į individualius mikčiojančių moksleivių poreikius, emocinius, kognityvinius ir socialinius mikčiojimo struktūros komponentus, kaip teikiamos pagalbos veiksmingumą vertina ugdymo(si) proceso dalyviai, kuo pasižymi logopedinė pagalba mikčiojantiems moksleiviams taikant į vaiką orientuoto ugdymo principus. Remiantis mikčiojančių moksleivių jų tėvų, logopedų, mokytojų nuomone ir patirtimi, atskleidžiama iki šiol netyrinėta logopedinės pagalbos mikčiojantiems moksleiviams situacija Lietuvoje, apibrėžiami mikčiojimo įveikimo būdai ir metodinės kryptys, identifikuojami teorijos ir logopedinės praktikos prieštaravimai. Atlikto tyrimo tikslas – teorinėmis prielaidomis bei empirinio tyrimo rezultatais sukonstruoti į vaiką orientuoto ugdymo principais grįstą logopedinės pagalbos mikčiojantiesiems modelį, kuris padėtų plėtoti edukacinį teikiamos pagalbos veiksmingumą. / Statistical data shows that adults who stutter constitute 1% and children who stutter from 4–5% of the population. Stuttering therapy is based on the principles of a system of development in relation to other psychological processes, a holistic approach where individual features are emphasized. Thesis research is based on social constructivism, social participation, empowerment theories and child centered educational paradigm. Research aim – to design a model of therapy to pupils who stutter based on child centered educational paradigm. This research (theoretical analysis of stuttering therapy for the pupils who stutter and empirical research, appended with a discussion of foreign scientists) underlined a few essential conclusions, useful while solving problems related to the education of the pupils who stutter, and the potential of implementation of stuttering therapy based on child-oriented educational principles.

A recent U.S.-based survey (Boyle et al,. 2011) estimated stuttering prevalence in American children ages 3-17 years at 1.6% or 1 in 63 children. In comparison to the reported 1 in 68 school age children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010), stuttering affects nearly as many. These estimates suggest that Speech-Language Pathologist (SLPs) should increasingly develop their skill sets for identifying and providing interventions for children who stutter. The evidence base for school-age fluency intervention, while promising, leaves much room for further development (Nippold, 2011). The majority of current interventions revolve around the traditional methods of fluency shaping and stuttering management. While these approaches are widely used, there is limited evidence to support their efficacy with the school-aged population (Bothe, et al., 2006). In addition, there is disagreement about whether treatment of stuttering in children should focus exclusively on "building fluent speech" or, whether interventions should also include cognitive/emotional components (Yaruss, Coleman, & Quesal, 2012) as are often associated with interventions for stuttering in adults. As a solution to the need for a cognitive/emotional component, Michael Boyle (2011) suggested including mindfulness in school-aged stuttering intervention by pointing out the similarities between the advantages of mindfulness treatment and personality traits necessary for long-term fluency maintenance. Although there has not yet been any published research in direct support of this idea, the notion that these three elements influence the effects of fluency intervention provides a foundation for the proposed research questions.