Story perspectives

STARS Conference Explores New Hope for Childhood Stuttering

9/18/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The STARS Research and Education Conference addressed childhood-onset fluency disorder (COFD), or stuttering.
Psychiatrist Gerald A. Maguire, MD, established STARS to advance research and education on COFD.
Current understanding of COFD's causes and treatments is limited, with no FDA-approved medications.
A graduate student shared positive results from off-label aripiprazole treatment for fluency and confidence.
Experts emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and ongoing research to meet the needs of individuals who stutter.

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Story summary

The STARS Research and Education Conference addressed childhood-onset fluency disorder (COFD), or stuttering.
Psychiatrist Gerald A. Maguire, MD, established STARS to advance research and education on COFD.
Current understanding of COFD's causes and treatments is limited, with no FDA-approved medications.
A graduate student shared positive results from off-label aripiprazole treatment for fluency and confidence.
Experts emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and ongoing research to meet the needs of individuals who stutter.