Cluttering: Characteristics Identified as Diagnostically Significant by Fluency Experts

David A. Daly and Robert P. Cantrell

Sixty fluency experts rated how accurately fifty statements from the literature described characteristics of cluttering. Fifteen items were rated characteristic of cluttering 66% or more of the time. "Repetition of multi-syllabic words" and "Rapid rate with intact articulation" were not included among the top 15 items. Experts also rank-ordered the characteristics' importance for clinical diagnosis. Interestingly, not all items rated within the 15 items appeared in the top ten rankings. Implications of the experts' top and bottom rankings and ratings will be discussed.  The feasibility of using these data to develop a meaningful diagnostic inventory will be presented.