How NSA-Funded Research Is Advancing Understanding of Stuttering

Stuttering is a communication difference that affects about 1% of the world’s population. It is not caused by parenting, anxiety, or personality. Research over the past several decades has strengthened our understanding of the neurophysiological foundations of stuttering and continues to refine how we support people who stutter and their families.

At the National Stuttering Association (NSA), research is not separate from our community. It is part of our commitment to evidence-based education, stigma reduction, and meaningful support. Previous programs, such as the NSA Research Fund Award, the Canadeo Award, and the Advancement in Clinical Research Award, contributed meaningful insights to the field.

Active programs, including the Graduate Student Research Award (GSRA) and the Community, Advocacy, Support, and Education (CASE) Research Grant, currently serve as our active research initiatives, continuing to advance work that informs practice and lived experience.

The studies highlighted below represent just a portion of NSA-supported research shaping the field today.

Exploring Self‑Compassion & Quality of Life of People Who Stutter

NSA-funded stuttering research expands how we think about what really matters for people who stutter. One example comes from speech‑language pathologist (SLP) and researcher Dr. Robyn Croft Albaum, whose work links self‑compassion with quality of life for adults who stutter.

When Dr. Croft Albaum received the Research Fund Award early in her doctoral training in 2020, she pursued an innovative pilot study exploring online self‑compassion interventions—an area that hadn’t yet been widely examined in stuttering research. She found that:

• Adults who participated in the self‑compassion intervention showed notable increases in self‑compassion, adopting kinder, less self‑critical ways of relating to themselves in challenging moments.

• Increases in self‑compassion were linked with improvements in quality of life, suggesting that how people feel about themselves can be as meaningful as how they communicate.

• Psychosocial strengths like self‑compassion may play a vital and measurable role in overall well‑being for people who stutter—beyond speech fluency alone.

These findings were published in the International Journal of Speech‑Language Pathology and shared at major national and international conferences, helping shape conversations about psychological experience, identity, and communication confidence.

Re-Examining Advice Given to Caregivers of Children Who Stutter

For decades, caretakers of young children who stutter have often been advised to slow their speech, ask fewer questions, pause more between conversational turns, and/or simplify their language. Dr. Nan Bernstein Ratner, professor at the University of Maryland and recipient of the 2021 CASE Research Grant, sought to evaluate whether these commonly recommended strategies are supported by evidence.

Using archival data from a large federally funded longitudinal study of 80 families, her team analyzed parent-child interactions over a three-year period. They examined speech rate, turn-taking patterns, questioning frequency, and language complexity in families of:

• Children who recovered from stuttering

• Children whose stuttering persisted

• Children who did not stutter

The findings of this study found that these speech characteristics did not predict which children would recover and which would persist.

As Dr. Bernstein Ratner noted, recommendations lacking evidence can unintentionally increase parental guilt if stuttering persists. Her work reinforces that a parenting style does not cause stuttering and that families should not bear misplaced responsibility.

This research strengthens evidence-based practice and calls for more prospective studies to validate early intervention recommendations.

How Identity, Awareness, & Emotional Well-Being Connect for People Who Stutter

Stuttering is not only a speech difference; it’s also a lived experience shaped by identity, perception, and environment.

Dr. Christopher Constantino, associate professor at Florida State University and recipient of the 2019 Canadeo Award, examined how aspects of stuttering identity relate to emotional well-being in adults who stutter. Using real-time smartphone surveys across daily life, he measured:

• How central stuttering is to a person’s identity

• How positively they feel about being a person who stutters

• How aware they are of their stuttering in specific moments

His findings revealed that individuals who viewed stuttering as an important part of who they are and held positive regard for it had increased awareness, which was associated with improved emotional outcomes. This study documented, for the first time, measurable psychological benefits linked to a positive stuttering identity.

These findings are influencing therapy models that prioritize integration, resilience, and authenticity rather than concealment.

Understanding Why Stuttering Persists

Stuttering research helps us understand not only how people stutter but also why some continue to do so. Cara M. Singer, PhD, CCC-SLP, associate professor of Speech-Language Pathology at Grand Valley State University, received the NSA’s Research Fund Award in 2017. She focused on why some children recover from stuttering while others don’t.

Dr. Singer studied how cognitive, emotional, and language factors influence whether stuttering persists. Her findings showed that attention, thinking patterns, and language skills all play a role—helping explain why some kids keep stuttering and others recover.

She’s now expanding this work into practical interventions, like using books and activities to build resilience and confidence in young children who stutter. Her research shows that understanding the roots of stuttering directly shapes ways to support kids and their families.

Bridging the Gap Between Speech Therapy & Everyday Life for People Who Stutter

A common challenge in stuttering intervention is applying communication skills learned in therapy in everyday settings such as classrooms, workplaces, and social environments.

Dr. John A. Tetnowski, the Jeanette Sias Endowed Chair in Speech Pathology at Oklahoma State University and a recipient of the 2022 CASE Research Grant, is investigating how virtual reality (VR) can help bridge this gap.

His research with adolescents and adults who stutter uses immersive simulations to create realistic communication scenarios. Early findings suggest that VR can narrow the distance between gains achieved in the clinic and performance in everyday settings.

Participants, particularly adolescents, adapted quickly to the technology and reported high engagement. VR offers repeated, structured exposure to challenging speaking situations in a controlled environment, potentially increasing confidence and carryover.

This line of research represents how technology can expand access to meaningful practice opportunities, including for individuals in rural or underserved areas.

The Connection Between Emotion & Speech Motor Control

Understanding the interaction between emotional states and speech production remains an important area of inquiry.

Dr. Kim Bauerly, associate professor at the University of Vermont and recipient of the 2016 Research Fund Award, examined how emotional states influence speech motor control in adults who stutter.

Her findings reinforced that emotions do not cause stuttering. However, emotional states may interact with the neurological systems that coordinate speech movements.

Research of this kind deepens our understanding of the complex biological and experiential factors involved in stuttering. Since receiving NSA funding, Dr. Bauerly has secured additional federal grants, including NIH funding, and continues to expand her research to include children who stutter.

How the NSA Supports Emerging Scholars & Long-Term Impact

The NSA’s GSRA has supported early-career researchers whose projects later grew into dissertations, peer-reviewed publications, and academic appointments.

Dr. Ryan A. Millager, the 2022 GSRA recipient, began with a pilot study focused on young children who stutter and their interactions with caregivers. That pilot expanded into a successful dissertation and contributed to his appointment as an assistant professor at Rush University.

He now continues this line of research while teaching future SLPs and developing clinical services to support people who stutter.

Where Research Is Headed

These examples illustrate how early-stage research support contributes to sustained impact within communication sciences and clinical practice. Despite significant progress in stuttering research, some important questions remain:

• Why do some children recover while others persist?

• Which early interventions meaningfully influence long-term outcomes?

• How can therapy best integrate identity, resilience, and real-world communication demands?

• How can technology enhance access and effectiveness?

Addressing these questions requires rigorous, collaborative research and ongoing partnership between scientists, clinicians, and people who stutter.

A Shared Commitment to Evidence & Community

The NSA remains committed to supporting research that is scientifically sound, clinically relevant, and grounded in the lived experiences of people who stutter. Through funding initiatives, research-focused events, and translation of findings into easy-to-understand language, the NSA plays a unique role in connecting discovery to the stuttering community.

Research informs how we educate families, train SLPs, shape DEI policy conversations, and strengthen our support networks.

As the field continues to evolve, the work of NSA-funded researchers contributes to a clearer, more accurate understanding of stuttering—one that replaces assumption with evidence and stigma with knowledge.

We are proud to support this work and to share its progress with our community!

To learn more about our contribution to stuttering research, visit WeStutter.org.