The Stuttering Community

Written By Ashley .

The Importance of Community

Being part of the stuttering community can have positive impacts in the life of a person who stutters. Research has show the significance of joining the stuttering community in various ways, not only for the person who stutters, but for their families as well.

The utility of stuttering support organization conventions for young people who stutter (Gerlach et al., 2019):

  • Children and teenagers formed strong relationships and found a sense of community

  • A collaborative learning environment facilitated personal growth

  • Communicative and cognitive changes persisted beyond the convention

  • Listening to and sharing personal stories increased self-acceptance and the acceptance of others

  • Living with stuttering can be challenging, but the convention helped to normalize stuttering

Self-help conferences for people who stutter: a qualitative investigation (Trichon & Tetnowski, 2011):

  • Support group participation is associated with more positive perceptions of behaviors and experiences related to stuttering

  • Participating in support groups and having a goal of communicating freely (as opposed to trying not to stutter) are associated with less negative life outcomes due to stuttering

Speech treatment and support group experiences of people who participate in the National Stuttering Association (Yaruss et al., 2002):

  • Adults who stutter were asked how participation in NSA support group impacted their self-image and acceptance of themselves as people who stutter

  • 57.1% - “very positively", 36.7% - “somewhat positively”

  • 6.1% - no effect

  • 0% - negative impact

Perceptions of persons who stutter before and after attending support group meetings (Murgallis et al., 2015):

  • Most study participants reported they gained hope and confidence from interactions with others in the group

  • People felt united in addressing universal aspects of life disruptions caused by stuttering

  • Members felt able to share strengths and help others which boosted their self-esteem and self-confidence

  • Reports of improved feelings about being a Person Who Stutters following meetings

  • Before attending meetings, many members believed that they were the only ones who stuttered and experienced the negative aspects of stuttering

  • The ability to share personal information about stuttering reduced the pressures that they experienced during everyday social interactions

  • Through participation in the meetings, participants mentioned that they obtained a better understanding of other people who stutter, and in turn, a better understanding of themselves

Stuttering Organizations & Resources

The National Stuttering Association

The NSA is the largest non-profit organization in the world dedicated to bringing hope and empowerment to children and adults who stutter, their families, and professionals, through support, education, advocacy, and research.

  • Local Family Support Group Chapters

  • Mentoring Program

  • Virtual Group Meetings & Events

  • Annual Conference

FRIENDS: National Stuttering Association for the Young

FRIENDS is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support and education to young people who stutter, their families, and professionals, through annual conferences, one-day workshops, and outreach.

  • Virtual Kids, Teens, Parents Support Groups

  • Stepping Up Mentoring Program

  • Annual Conference

SAY: Stuttering Association for the Young

SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young is a national non-profit organization that empowers, educates, and supports young people who stutter and the world that surrounds them.

  • Camp Say (summer camps)

  • Confident Voices (virtual creative programming)

SPACE: Stuttering Organization

SPACE is a national non-profit organization that creates a more inclusive and accessible world for people who stutter through arts, education and advocacy. They carry out advocacy initiatives to dismantle systemic obstacles and reduce stigma for those who stutter. They facilitate professional listening workshops for businesses and schools to improve listening equity. They offer unique online community and arts programs for people who stutter ages 7-25

  • Virtual Community & Arts Programs

  • Listening Worksh0ps

  • Library of Dysfluent Voices (showcasing the unique and diverse voices of people who stutter)

Camps for Young People Who Stutter:

Ashley Cubberly M.A. CCC-SLP

Research & References

Gerlach, H., Hollister, J., Caggiano, L., Zebrowski, P. M. (2019). The utility of stuttering support organization conventions for young people who stutter. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfludis.2019.105724

Murgallis, T., Vitale, C., Tellis, G. M. (2015). Perceptions of persons who stutter before and after attending support group meetings. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 193, 202–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.03.260

SAY The Stuttering Association for the Young. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.say.org/.

Trichon, M., Tetnowski, J. (2011). Self-help conferences for people who stutter: A qualitative investigation. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 36(4), 290–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfludis.2011.06.001

Yaruss, J. S., Quesal, R. W., Reeves, L., Molt, L. F., Kluetz, B., Caruso, A. J., McClure, J. A., Lewis, F. (2002). Speech treatment and support group experiences of people who participate in the National Stuttering Association. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 27(2), 115–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0094-730x(02)00114-6

Ashley .
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