Imagine a place where people who stutter can come together and share their experiences in coping with stuttering, celebrate their successes, gain support in facing their challenges, and simply not have to worry about whether other people will listen to them when they talk.
Now imagine an event where more than 800 people who stutter (including both adults and children), family members, and speech-language pathologists dedicated to stuttering can all work together with a common focus on helping people overcome the burden of stuttering.
I've just returned from the annual conference of the National Stuttering Association (NSA), and that is exactly what an self-help/support group conference is all about.
I attend the NSA conference every year, and I encourage all of my clients, young and old, to attend, as well. Participating in a self-help/support group event is one of the most important experiences that people who care about stuttering can have.
I have seen people's lives change in a weekend... when they learn that they are not alone in facing their stuttering, when they see that they can stutter yet still say what they want to say, when parents learn that their children will be okay even though they stutter, and even when clinicians come to realize that they can make a difference in people's lives. It's truly a moving experience.
Below is contact information for the support organizations in the United States. I urge you to connect ALL of your clients who stutter with self-help/support organizations. Even if they aren't yet ready to attend a conference, they may benefit from online resources or other material—and from simply knowing that there are other people out there who "get it." Working together, we can make a difference in the lives of people who stutter!
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Friends: The National Association for Young People Who Stutter
www.FriendsWhoStutter.org -
National Stuttering Association
www.WeStutter.org / (800) We Stutter / (800) 973-8888 -
SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young
www.SAY.org
