50% late recovery rate!!!!

You should check out the article by Howell et al from University College London. They write that nearly 50% of all stuttering children at age 8 recover! This result is a real surprise to me. I thought that the recovery is very low after age 7. (Actually, they all had treatement, so it is not really natural recovery...) You can read the full article here . Here is the abstract, but I suggest you read the real manuscript as the abstract is a bit vague.

PURPOSEA study was conducted that examined factors that lead children who stutter at around age 8 years to persist in the disorder when they reach age 12 years.

METHODSeventy-six children were verified to be stuttering at initial assessment. When they reached 12 years of age, they were classified as persistent or recovered. A range of measures was taken at the 2 age points, and measures were examined by recovery group.

RESULTSAlthough the tendency for more males than females to stutter was confirmed, the reasons for this tendency are not apparent for these speakers. Different patterns in speech were observed: Severity ratings of the recovered speakers dropped by age 12+. The severity ratings for the persistent speakers remained high at 12+, and dysfluency types tended to change from whole words to part words. Persistent and recovered speakers differed on temperamental performance at around age 8 years and performed differently on sensory and motor tasks at age 12+ years.

CONCLUSIONSStuttering in late childhood affects mainly males. The later a child attends clinic, the longer he or she will stutter. Speech patterns of children who persist diverge from those who recover or who are fluent. As speakers persist, there are temperamental, sensory, and motor changes.