FAQS

Donating to the NSA helps make a difference for people who stutter (of all ages!), their friends and family, and speech-language pathologists by supporting the various programs and resources within the NSA. Donations sustaining the family, kids and teens programs that provide hope, empowerment and knowledge. Donations also support NSA chapters, social groups for people who stutter to find friendship and connection. Donations to the NSA also go towards conducting research and providing education for people who stutter and their allies. Through your donation dollars, the NSA is also able to offer ASHA CEUs to inform and inspire the next generation of speech-language pathologists.

Your donation to the NSA makes an impact to help the NSA fulfill our mission of bringing hope and empowerment to children and adults who stutter, their families, and professionals, through support, education, advocacy, and research. You can choose to donate to our General Fund or to one of our specific funds if you have a particular interest. You can donate to the NSA Conference Scholarship Fund to provide financial support to individuals and families who face economic challenges in attending our Annual Conference. You can also choose to donate to our Research Fund if you have an interest in advancing knowledge and understanding in the field of stuttering. No matter how or where you choose to donate, the NSA is incredibly grateful for your support. Know that your donation dollars truly make a difference to funding the important work of the NSA.

We are so thankful for and proud of our ChangeMakers program! ChangeMakers are people who choose to donate monthly to the NSA. Your monthly donation makes sense because you choose how much you are able to give. Monthly donations (both big and small!) are reliable gifts the NSA can count on. Your monthly donations add up to create tremendous results.

It has been estimated that about one percent of the adult population stutters. This would amount to almost three million adults in the United States alone. Stuttering is about three or four times more common in men than women.

The precise causes of stuttering are still unknown, but most researchers now consider stuttering to be neurologically and genetically based. Although the interference with speech is sometimes triggered by emotional or environmental factors, stuttering is basically neurological and physiological – not psychological – in nature. Intelligence and emotional stability are not affected.

Despite scientific research breakthroughs in the field of stuttering, there is still no reliable “cure” for stuttering. Many individuals benefit from various forms of speech therapy and from support groups offered by the National Stuttering Association.

Some of the benefits brought to the workplace by people who stutter may include: Patience and perseverance, gained from dealing with their stuttering. Greater sensitivity to the needs of other people. Good listening skills. Appreciation of the value of preparation. Better understanding of communication issues in the workplace. Enhancement of your organization’s image as one that promotes diversity and inclusion. By refraining from making assumptions about an individual’s qualifications based on stuttering, both the employer and employee can achieve a productive and mutually beneficial relationship.

Yes. Many stutterers perform very effectively in jobs requiring them to interact with the public on a daily basis. Most persons who stutter are capable of adequate – and often excellent – oral communication, regardless of their disfluency. Good communication involves more than just fluency. It includes good listening skills, the ability to empathize with people, being thoughtful and diplomatic, and having something valuable to say. A person who stutters may have these qualities, including valuable “people skills” gained through past work and life experiences. A job interview may be the single most difficult speaking situation a stutterer will encounter. Stuttering could be at its worst. Therefore, the degree of stuttering at the interview should not be used to predict how the person will actually speak on the job. Disqualifying potential employees because of their stutter will deprive employers of the valuable skills that these individuals can contribute to the workplace.

Yes, the NSA provides a range of resources for parents, including educational materials, support groups, and workshops. These resources aim to help parents understand stuttering and support their children effectively. Check out our resources for parents on the Parents page. We also have a closed Facebook group specifically for parents!

Being a parent to a child who stutters can be challenging and we are so glad that you are here to find resources and learn more to help your child. As parents, we want to see our children succeed and it’s hard to see them struggle with stuttering. It’s important to remember that stuttering is not because of anything that you or your child did wrong. You can find a speech therapist trained in stuttering to work with your child. With speech therapy, children who stutter can learn to manage their stuttering. It’s good to remember that the goal of speech therapy isn’t necessarily fluency but to communicate effectively. Parents should encourage their children to keep talking and speaking and to not focus on fluency as a benchmark of success. You and your child can get more involved in the NSA to find a community of support through our NSA local chapters, events, and the NSA annual conference.

First, stuttering is not your fault. Please allow this to be reiterated: There is not a single piece of credible research suggesting that parents can cause stuttering. Period. Second, stuttering is not your child’s fault. There is no credible evidence suggesting that stuttering is caused by some type of character flaw or psychological weakness. While researchers cannot definitively cite the cause of developmental stuttering (or persistent developmental stuttering), research is pointing towards genetics and neurological processing errors as the likely causal culprits. Greg Snyder, Ph.D. There is an undeniable genetic component to stuttering. If you do stutter, you’re about three times more likely to have a relative who stutters. We also know that stuttering is not entirely genetic. Research is teaching us more and more about stuttering. Brain scans are beginning to shed some light on how the brains of people who stutter (PWS) differ from brains of people who don’t stutter; for example, while speech and language are processed almost exclusively in the left hemisphere for the vast majority of the population (somewhere around 95%), studies are showing that brains of PWS are far more likely to have speech and language processed in the right hemisphere, or distributed more evenly between the 2 hemispheres. Alas, this is not the case for all stuttering brains; and, we can’t say whether the unusual wiring in some brains causes stuttering, or if stuttering leads to atypical brain wiring. Charley Adams, PhD, CCC-SLP

While there is no “cure” for stuttering, there are various options that may help people who stutter. Stutter-affirming treatment approaches encourage stuttering acceptance, advocacy, and pride by conceptualizing stuttering as an identity rather than a deficit. Stuttering modification treatment focuses on limiting the impact of stuttering, identifying and adjusting disfluencies as they occur. Fluency shaping treatment emphasizes on reducing disfluent speech. Like any good treatment, help for people who stutter should be tailored to the individual. What works for one person who stutters may not work for everyone! Ultimately, the success of any one treatment for a person who stutters depends on their individual goals, feelings, and attitudes toward their stuttering. Many treatment programs utilize a combination of the methods described above. Most clinicians would agree that early intervention can help support young children who stutter and their families. When potential stuttering is identified in a young child, they should be referred to a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for a comprehensive evaluation. Research suggests that early intervention programs may influence whether stuttering persists into adulthood. Working with an SLP can help children, teens and caregivers self-advocate as well as cope with any negative reactions and/or avoidance of speaking situations that children and teens may experience. Early intervention can help young children and teens who stutter develop a positive communication attitude and effective communication skills.

Stuttering is a very unique communication disorder and is incredibly variable. There may be inconsistencies, peculiarities, and behaviors that are sometimes hard to explain. Sometimes children who stutter stutter less in the safe space of speech therapy, where their stuttering is truly out in the open. Or sometimes, they might stutter more because they are truly more comfortable and don’t feel like they need to hide their stuttering.

We observe that the frequency of stuttering often fluctuates depending upon the situation, communication partner, and various other factors. There are considerable differences among speakers who stutter; some are impacted more by the person they are speaking with, while others have more difficulty in one situation compared to another. One explanation is that home is a “safe haven” in which the person who stutters feels secure enough to “be themselves”, feeling accepted for who they are, and loved even though they stutter. There is no need for pretense or to hide their stuttering. Gary Rentschler , Ph.D, CCC-SLP, BRS-FD

Current stuttering therapies can provide powerful results in managing stuttering behaviors, but since the precise cause of stuttering remains unknown, stuttering therapies continue to struggle at eliminating stuttering altogether. So, an open, honest, educated, empowered and shame-free attitude toward stuttering is a great path to follow as you raise a child who is stuttering. Greg Snyder, Ph.D.

This is a rather profound question because it represents three sentiments rolled into one question. These sentiments include: (1) How do I respond to others about my child’s stuttering? (2) Why does my child stutter? (3) Why does my child continue to stutter despite stuttering therapy? Each of these sentiments is worthy of a response. How do I respond to others about my child’s stuttering? One of the best things a parent can do for their child who is stuttering is to serve as positive role models of self (and stuttering) acceptance and advocacy. Stated differently, children often look to their parents to learn how they should think and feel about stuttering. If parents approach and discuss stuttering in a healthy, open, honest and shame-free manner, then the children often assume this perspective. Similarly, parents that view stuttering as shameful, ugly or handicapping may raise a child who views stuttering (and ultimately themselves) in a similar fashion. In short, it is important that parents model an open, healthy, positive, and shame-free attitude about stuttering, because this will teach many children who stutter how to think and feel about stuttering, and ultimately themselves. So when others ask about your son’s stuttering, I would suggest using it as a teachable moment for both your friend and your son by educating others about stuttering in an honest, open, empowered and shame-free manner. Using questions from others as teaching moments to demonstrate stuttering awareness, acceptance and advocacy will also create a positive foundation for your child’s development, regardless if your child recovers from stuttering or not. Greg Snyder, Ph.D.

Our network of local chapters are powerful spaces where you can connect directly with your local stuttering community. We have both Adult Chapters and Family Chapters — there really is something for everyone! Read more about NSA Chapters and plan to attend a meeting near you!

Our purpose is to provide information, advocacy and mutual support for people who stutter, their families, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Come join us and experience the NSA’s motto in action: If You Stutter, You’re Not Alone®.

You can find a local NSA chapter by using the chapter locator on our website. Simply enter your location to find the nearest chapter and contact details. Visit our Chapter Locator to find a chapter near you.

Your Chapter Leader may prepare a topic for the meeting or might open the floor for discussion and see where things go. Some chapters may also host social events outside of the traditional chapter meeting. The magic of the NSA is just being among other people who stutter, building connections, and having fun while doing it! NSA Chapters give people who stutter, their families and SLPs, a chance to connect and have fun-filled experiences together!

People who stutter (of all ages), their family and friends, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and anyone with a special interest in stuttering are welcome at our chapters!

While you don’t need to RSVP before attending, it’s always a good idea to reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) before the meeting to let them know you’re coming. We love knowing who to look for at a meeting!

Some of our NSA local chapters are meeting virtually - you can join them from wherever you are! On our chapter locator page, search by meeting type and look for hybrid and virtual chapters! Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for information on joining their meeting.

The National Stuttering Association (NSA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support, education, and advocacy for people who stutter and their families. Learn more about us on our About Us page.

People who stutter (young and old!), as well as their families, are encouraged to attend. There is a variety of programming for people of all ages, as well as for family members. Additionally, we strongly encourage speech-language pathologists and speech-language pathology students to join us.

We used to consider you an NSA member only if you paid annual dues. That used to cover the cost of mailing our Letting Go newsletter and made the newsletter a “perk” of membership. Now that our publications are distributed mostly online, dropping the dues requirement enables us to be more inclusive. So people who participate in our programs can identify with the NSA as members whether or not they can contribute financially.

As an NSA supporter, you benefit from possible tax deductions, recognition as a contributor, and the satisfaction of knowing you are helping the NSA reach out to more people who stutter. Your support enables us to provide education, empowerment, and a sense of belonging to individuals who stutter and their families.

If participating in NSA activities has helped you, we hope you will “give back” to the extent you are able to contribute. Over the years, the NSA has grown because people came to us for support, gained self-confidence and strength through our programs, and were then empowered to reach out to others. Are you one of those people?

You can find information about NSA events and meetings on our Events page or by contacting your local chapter. We also post updates on our social media channels and mailing list.

The NSA offers various types of support, including local chapter meetings, online NSA Connects sessions, local events, and annual conferences. These resources provide a platform for individuals who stutter and their families to connect, share experiences, and find support. Find a chapter near you. Check out our upcoming events! There’s even more resources for adults who stutter online …and for families!

There’s lots of ways to join the NSA community virtually in addition to our variety of in-person events! We offer several NSA Connects sessions for different groups within the stuttering community, and also offer many closed Facebook groups. Not only that but you can even join some of our local NSA Chapters virtually! Check out our upcoming events to see upcoming Connects sessions! We have NSA Connects sessions for members of the LGBTQ+ community, for young adults, older adults, for parents, for Spanish speakers, for Arabic speakers, and more! There are even sessions as part of our WeStutter@Work initiative. Check out our upcoming sessions to find one for you! You can also join an NSA Chapter virtually as many of our chapters are still holding virtual or hybrid meetings. On our chapter locator page, search by meeting type and look for hybrid and virtual chapters! Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for information on joining their meeting. (Link to the chapter locator page https://westutter.org/chapters/locator/). We have several closed Facebook groups for different groups within the stuttering community. NSA Older Adults who Stutter NSA Teens NSA Young Adults NSA Parents Be sure to follow us on social media as another way to connect! Facebook Instagram

The NSA has lots of different resources online to help you learn more (and help others learn more too!) about stuttering. Check out our Understanding Stuttering page as a place to start when looking for information on stuttering. There’s lots to learn about what stuttering is, what causes stuttering, treatment options, and more!

Yes, the NSA offers extensive resources for SLPs, including continuing education opportunities, research collaborations, and specialized training to support their work with individuals who stutter. Find out more on our SLP Resources page.

Yes, SLPs can earn ASHA Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by attending NSA’s annual conference and other professional development events that offer accredited sessions. Learn about upcoming events on our Events page.

Professionals can get involved with the NSA by joining a local chapter, attending an our events, participating in research initiatives, and joining our professional advisory board. Contact us for more information on how to get involved. Find a chapter near you. Check out our upcoming events!