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Video Analysis Lab

Focus of Lab

Research conducted in the Video Analysis Laboratory has focused in two (2) areas: the development of a treatment protocols for adults (PS) and children who stutter (CS) and the neuromotor basis of stuttering.

With regard to the first area, the project was to develop an effective treatment paradigm for CS. Over the past 20 years, The Fluency Rules Program (FRP) has been designed and developed, by JMU faculty Runyan and Runyan for use with preschool and early grade school CW. Current research is focused on the clinical efficacy of treatment programs for People Who Stutter and Children Who Stutter. Treatment paradigms presently being evaluated are: Fluency Rules Program, Walter Reed Army Medical Center intensive stuttering program, and the Speech-Easy device. Pretreatment, post-treatment, and follow-up treatment behavioral analysis is being conducted. To date, the findings have been favorable and a number of grants, publications and presentations have resulted.

The second area is intended to enhance understanding of the Neuromotor basis of stuttering through analysis of the peripheral physiology and behavioral aspects of speech in persons who stutter (PS) and those who do not (NS). Over the past four (7) years, a substantial physiologic and behavioral dataset has been acquired and a number of studies have been conducted that address various dimensions of this project. The principal issues being studied concern the subgrouping of PS, coordination of speech muscle subsystems, speech rate control, and the physical characteristics of speech dysfluencies. Results from investigation in these various areas should contribute to

Personnel

  • Dr. Charles Runyan, Director
  • Ms Sara E. Runyan, Associate Professor