The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the paradoxical intention technique in enhancing perceived competence among school-age boys with stuttering disorder. Stuttering disorder is recognized as one of the most common speech disorders in children, which can exert significant negative impacts on their perceived competence, self-confidence, and psychosocial functioning. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test-post-test and a control group. The statistical population consisted of boys aged 7 to 12 years referred to the Atieh Darakshan Mind Clinic and Niaava Clinic in Tehran, with purposive sampling employed. Ultimately, 30 children were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants each). The measurement instrument was the Children's Perceived Competence Questionnaire (Parandin, 2006). The experimental group underwent the paradoxical intention technique intervention over 10 sessions (twice weekly), comprising structured exercises designed to modify cognitive-emotional patterns related to speech performance and promote positive self-evaluation, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results indicated that the paradoxical intention technique significantly enhanced perceived competence in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the paradoxical intention technique can be employed as an effective psychological intervention to improve perceived competence and support mental health in children with stuttering disorder.
