Stuttering is a highly stigmatized speech difference that many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are uncomfortable working with—some are even uncomfortable using the word stuttering.As a person who stutters, I see this as a major knowledge gap in our field—a gap that harms the stuttering community. And as the profession of speech-language pathology continues to shift from “fixing” the client to addressing societal stigmas and supporting self-acceptance, I believe that future SLPs should (a) understand the evolving perspectives on stuttering treatment and (b) know about the resources available to help support this shift.

What is stuttering?

Stuttering is a neurophysiological difference that produces disfluent speech. Those who stutter know exactly what they want to say: It may just take a little longer for them to say it.

Stuttering types can include prolongations, repetitions, and blocks of speech. Stuttering varies from person to person in terms of type and frequency. One person may block on words only a few times a day, whereas others may repeat sounds on every word that they say. This New York Times video—featuring John Hendrickson, a person who stutters—does a great job explaining what stuttering is and what it can look like.

What are some challenges that people who stutter face?

For people who stutter, social interactions that most people take for granted—like ordering food, speaking up in class, or meeting new people—can carry an added layer of difficulty. Often, it’s not the stutter itself that creates these challenges but, rather, how others respond to it. Many people who stutter face reactions ranging from impatience to outright mockery, which can lead to the speaker experiencing feelings of isolation or reluctance to speak openly. These negative responses by others can make it harder for people who stutter to feel comfortable and confident in everyday conversations.

Historically, how have SLPs approached stuttering?

Historically, two concepts in our field—stuttering modification and fluency shaping—have been the gold standards. These therapy strategies aim to reduce the “severity” of a stutter and to alter someone’s way of speaking, with the goal of decreasing their stutter or making their stutter less noticeable.

The issue with this? Fluency shaping teaches those who stutter to speak unnaturally by changing the rate, tone, and words—all for the sole sake of fluency. This therapy strategy produces an unnatural robotic-sounding speech that prevents those who stutter from saying what they want to say. It implies that stuttering is something that needs to be “hidden” or “cured.”

SLPs have promoted therapy techniques like stuttering modification and fluency shaping since the early 1900s. Such techniques cause people who stutter to feel ashamed and embarrassed about their stutter. Stuttering modification and fluency-shaping therapy methods create a sort of “iceberg effect”: On the surface, you may see fluency, but underneath, there may lie feelings of shame, fear, guilt, and isolation.

What is the new approach to stuttering treatment?

Stuttering treatment is beginning to take a new turn—one that I directly benefited from when I was child. This approach is known as the CARE model:

• Communication
• Advocacy
• Resiliency
• Education

The CARE model includes the following components:

• accepting your stutter
• stuttering openly
• developing your communication and truly seeing it as a strength
• educating others about what stuttering is

Because—after all, what’s so “bad” about taking a little more space and time to talk?

Fortunately, I grew up with this approach, and it has shaped who I am today. Embracing my stutter has allowed me to accomplish far more than I could have if I had been focused on achieving fluency in every conversation.

It’s mentally exhausting to constantly modify yourself to make others comfortable. Stuttering is my natural way of speaking, and I no longer carry the weight of trying to speak in a way that satisfies others’ expectations. Returning to the iceberg analogy, what you see on the surface is stuttering—but underneath that, you’ll find pride, confidence, and a sense of belonging that comes from embracing who you truly are.

How can I be an advocate for the stuttering community?

1.   Listen and learn from the stuttering community.

When talking with someone who stutters, give them as much time and space as they need to speak. Take time to learn their conversational preferences. Ask them if they feel comfortable talking about their stutter if you have specific questions that you want to ask.

2.   Teach others about stuttering.

There’s a lot of misinformation about stuttering out there, which means that there are also a lot of opportunities to educate people about stuttering in your future practice or within your community. Consider giving an in-class presentation about stuttering or having one-on-one conversations with someone who doesn’t know much about stuttering.

3.   Support people who stutter.

Many people in the stuttering community host their own social media platform or have written books about their stuttering journey. Help support the stuttering community by taking the time to learn from these resources—and spread the message to others that these resources exist and tell people how to find them.

Where can students start?

As a student, you can begin by listening to those in the stuttering community and helping amplify their voices, their stories, and their lived experiences. One example of an organization doing just that is the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research (see sidebar below).

For instance: Using the Blank Center as an example, you might entertain the idea of hosting screenings of videos or inviting speakers to talk to your NSSLHA chapter. Here’s an example of what my own NSSLHA chapter did to support the stuttering community:

The Blank Center has launched a new animation series called, “When I Talk, I Stutter.” It captures the lived experiences of individuals who stutter. These are the very experiences that people who stutter—including me—have listened to for decades. This series spotlights what advocating for yourself and stuttering openly looks like in different situations—and the pain that comes with the daily pressures to conform to speaking like everyone else.

My NSSLHA chapter did a screening of this series for International Stuttering Awareness Day. We engaged in some deep discussions about it afterwards. I encourage you to not only host screenings but also to facilitate post-screening discussions to get people talking. It’ll bring the world steps closer to ending the stigmatization of stuttering.

As future SLPs, we must listen to the actual members of the communities we’re serving—to ensure that our practice is ethical and appropriate. Listening to others—and learning about their experiences and journeys—teaches us how to best serve and support them.

Conclusion

As future SLPs, your role is crucial in creating inclusive spaces for people who stutter. I’ve seen firsthand how impactful stuttering advocacy is in creating inclusive, safe spaces for those in the stuttering community. By choosing to learn, listen, amplify, and advocate, you’re helping create a world that accepts stuttering—a world where everyone who stutters can do so openly and freely with pride, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging.

Learn More

Byrd, C. T., Coalson, G. A., & Conture, E. G. (2024). CARE model of treatment for stuttering: Theory, assumptions, and preliminary findings. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1488328. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1488328/abstract

Byrd, C. T., Werle, D., & St. Louis, K. O. (2020). Speech-language pathologists’ comfort level with use of term “stuttering” during evaluations. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(2), 841–850. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_ajslp-19-00081