1. FALL 2004
THE Media Awards Announced
S TUTTERING Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids
Premieres at Friends’ Convention
Highlights of Two-Day Conference
FOUNDATION Kids Write About Stuttering
New Tape on Preschoolers
A Nonprofit Organization 1-800-992-9392 www.stutteringhelp.org Since 1947... Helping Those Who Stutter
Editor’s Note: As we go to press, an arti-
cle on this study by Dr. Weber-Fox also SFA Outreach Tops 43,571 Pediatricians
appeared in the New York Times. English/Spanish DVD superb new resource
New Research on the Reaching well over 43,571 pediatri- Preschool Child, brochures and contact
cians with the latest information about information for resources.
Roots of Stuttering stuttering is a goal The Stuttering With each package costing approxi-
Language Processing and Foundation will realize this fall. In an mately $10, the total expenditure on the
Speech Motor Control: exciting development, that information project exceeds $430,000. For the past
Complex Interactions in is now available on a new DVD with three years, The Annenberg Foundation
Stuttering English and Spanish has helped support this
versions of Stuttering critical undertaking.
Stuttering and Last fall, the SFA sent
By Christine Weber-Fox, Ph.D., CCC-SLP and Your Child: Help Your Child: Help for Families
Purdue University for Families. information packets to
LaTartamudez y Su Niño: Una Guía para la Familia
In the last decade, accumulating evi- With a new grant 5,251 pediatric offices
In English and
in Spanish
dence from laboratories in the U.S. and from The Annenberg throughout Michigan,
Europe, as well as our own, led to the de- Foundation, the SFA Minnesota, Missouri,
velopment of a multi-factorial model of
served
will complete the ambi- Mississippi, Montana,
ights re
stuttering. This model of stuttering hy-
. All r
tious project begun North Carolina, North
tion
pothesizes that stuttering emerges from
nda
Fou
three years ago—to Dakota, Nebraska,
ing
DVD No. 0073
ter
complex interactions among factors in-
tut
eS
THE
STUTTERING
Th
reach every pediatric New Hampshire, New
04
FOUNDATION
20
®
cluding genetics,
©
3100 Walnut Grove Road, Suite 603
language processing, office across the coun- Mexico, Nevada, and
P.O. Box 11749 • Memphis, TN 38111-0749
www.stutteringhelp.org • www.tartamudez.org
1-800-992-9392
emotional/social as- try with effective Ohio.
pects, and speech guidelines on when to Pediatricians are often the “front Back in 1991, the
motor control. refer and information to line” for families concerned about SFA started exhibiting
stuttering. The SFA this fall will
Ultimately, stuttering share with parents. send 6,386 pediatric offices this
at the Convention of
occurs when the neu- This year’s mailing new DVD with English and the American Academy
ral signals that pro- to 6,386 pediatric prac- Spanish versions of Stuttering and of Pediatrics and real-
duce the coordinated tices—often with as Your Child: Help for Families. ized the need to devel-
Christine Weber movements in the many as eight pediatri- op materials specifical-
Fox, Ph.D.
respiratory, vocal, cians in each—in New York, ly for physicians. A group of profes-
and articulation sys- Pennsylvania and New Jersey will bring sionals was convened to create a book
tems become disrupted. The underlying to 43,571 the number of practices which specifically for pediatricians, which of-
notion is that the functions of the brain have been sent the 16-page book The fers “the necessary information in a
areas for speech motor control are affect- Child Who Stutters: To the Pediatrician, clear and succinct manner,” according
ed by complex interactions with other the video/DVD Stuttering and The Continued on page 5
neural systems. One important underly-
ing assumption of this model is that these
factors may not play the same role in dif-
ferent individuals who stutter and very A Part Of It In Ol’ NY
likely vary in significance over different Having made it big in New York,
stages of development. there is quite a contingent of young peo-
In our recent series of complementary ple who stutter who know they can
experiments we studied how neural sys- make it anywhere. The Our Time
tems for language processing may con- Theatre Teens lit up a New York stage to
tribute to disruptions in speech motor kick off National Stuttering Awareness
control in people who stutter. We have Week (NSAW) in style.
examined this question using two ap- The May 10 gala was a tremendous
proaches. First, using a very sensitive success, said SFA President Jane Fraser,
movement tracking system, we have who attended the festivities and intro-
been able to analyze speech movements Our Time Teens David Nachman, Keith
duced SFA Board member Alan Russell, Jonathan Greig, Donny Sethi, and
with an accuracy of less than .1 mm to Rabinowitz, 2004 recipient of the Our Corom Buksha were among the cast in a
determine how consistently and smooth- Time Award. crowd-pleasing performance May 10.
Continued on page 6
Continued on page 9

2. 2 www.stutteringhelp.org 1-800-992-9392
A is for “Awesome” Say Two-Day Workshop Participants
A good teacher helps students
grow in knowledge and gain confidence
in applying new skills. Judging by their
remarks, speech-language pathologists
at the SFA’s conference had 14 superb
teachers, and grew exponentially in their
ability to help those who stutter.
Stuttering Therapy, Practical Ideas
for the School Clinician brought togeth-
er 100 SLPs from schools, private prac-
tice and university clinics to learn from
14 of the nation’s top professionals in the Conference leaders, from left; front: SFA President Jane Fraser, Susan Cochrane, Susan
Dietrich, Patricia Zebrowski, Sheryl Gottwald, back: Charles Healy, Bill Shannon, Joe Donaher,
area of stuttering, June 11-12, 2004, in Barbara Moore Brown, Lisa Scott Trautman, Peter Ramig, Ann McKeehan, Kristin Chmela,
Cincinnati, Ohio. If comments such as Elisa Kaufman, Kerry Stanton, Patrice Carothers and Barry Guitar. Not pictured, Bill Murphy.
“awesome” are any indication, it was a
great experience.
“This is the best conference I have
been to in my eight years of practice,”
wrote one participant. “The speakers are
knowledgeable and approachable. I
learned more in these two days than I did
in a nine-week course I took in grad
school. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Presenters Barry Guitar, Charles
Healey, Peter Ramig, Bill Murphy,
Small group leader Susan Dietrich, left, with conference attendees. Small group discussion al-
Patricia Zebrowski and Kristin Chmela lows for answers to specific questions and for practicing treatment skills.
offered practical strategies for evaluating
and treating children who stutter, coun-
seling parents, working with teenagers,
and devising strategies to handle such
problems as teasing and peer pressure.
“I learned more in these
two days than I did in a
nine-week course I took in
grad school.”
Time to talk about caseloads and network is built into
—Conference participant the conference.
“How did you manage to get so many “I have a particular client that I have Conservation Society, was in Costa Rica
great speakers at one conference?” asked been concerned about for a while and this year at the dedication of a wildlife
one participant. “I felt like I had located now I feel much more confident about sanctuary for jaguars he worked to help
the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow- therapy because I have more tools,” said procure. A letter from him read by Barry
-and I needed that! I was particularly im- one. Guitar still brought tears to the eyes of
pressed that each speaker listened to the many who left the conference with
other speakers.” greater understanding for those who
Small group leaders Susan Cochrane, “This conference has stutter as well as better therapy skills.
Patrice Carothers, Susan Dietrich, made me passionate for “This conference has truly made me
Joseph Donaher, Sheryl Gottwald, Elise disfluent clients now. I passionate for disfluent clients now. I am
Kaufman, Ann McKeehan and Barbara have learned so much. so impressed with this conference for its
Moore-Brown guided participants as cost. I have been to so many expensive
they practiced fluency shaping and stut- You all are awesome.” two-day conferences and come home so
tering modification skills. Discussion —Conference participant disappointed—not here. You all were
groups also scored high for offering the awesome.”
chance for individualized learning. Time to network and share caseload The Stuttering Foundation’s two-day
Many SLPs at the conference noted problems is also built in to the two days. conference is typically held the second
that they had received little training in Last year, SFA board member Alan weekend in June. For more information
stuttering as part of their formal educa- Rabinowitz recounted his own struggle call 1-800-992-9392, email info@stut-
tion—the primary reason The Stuttering growing up with stuttering. Rabinowitz, teringhelp.org, or watch the SFA’s web
Foundation underwrites such confer- the Director of the Science and site at www.stutteringhelp.or for a down-
ences each year. Exploration Program at the Wildlife loadable application. □

3. FALL 2004 1-800-992-9392 3
Media Awards Recognize Quality
Reporting About Stuttering
Mass media plays a critical role in rais- piece that answered
ing awareness about stuttering and what an anxious parent’s
can be done to help. letter about a five-
To recognize superior reporting on the year-old child who
topic in print and electronic media, The stutters. The column
Stuttering Foundation instituted the Media included recom-
Awards for Excellence 13 years ago. We mendations on how
are pleased to announce the seven winners to get free assis-
for 2004, each of whom has enhanced tance through the
public understanding of this complex Jodie Lynn school system.
Third place win-
Stuttering: For Kids
speech disorder that affects millions of
people. ner is Evelyn Peterson. In her Ask Premieres at Friends
First place in the Evelyn advice column, she answered a
Daily Newspaper teacher’s query about a Kids who stutter have a lot to say,
category went to four-year-old child and friends can show them how in
Jason Hidalgo of who may be stuttering, Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids, a new
The Reno Gazette- providing reassurance DVD that premiered at the Friends:
Journal (Reno, and tips on how to help The Association of Young People Who
Nev.). A health re- the child’s fluency. Stutter convention in San Francisco.
porter and Sunday The first place win- Many children who stutter have
columnist, Hidalgo ner in the Magazine never met anyone else who struggles
Jason Hidalgo in his article Help category was Dan with the same disability. But in this
for Stutterers? ex- Costa of Scholastic Evelyn Petersen new video from The Stuttering
plored whether electronic devices on the Parent & Child maga- Foundation, they hear other kids who
market can really help people who stut- zine. His question-and-answer interview recount how they handle challenges
ter. He presented the evidence in a fair with speech-language pathologist Lisa such as teasing, speaking out in class,
and balanced way and provided addi- Scott Trautman, Ph.D., of The Florida and teaching others about stuttering.
tional resources readers could contact State University, in Focus on Health Because the DVD is for kids them-
for help. gave clear and easy-to-understand an- selves, the annual gathering of Friends,
Second place swers to common questions about stut- a nonprofit which runs support groups
went to Natalia tering. nationwide, was a natural venue at
Mielczarek of The The second-place magazine winner which to premiere the 12-minute film.
Tennessean for her was writer Michael Medley, of OC Swish, a lively and engaging ani-
article entitled Family and Inland Empire Family mag- mated basketball character designed by
Learning to Cope azines, with Say the Right Thing. This students at Purdue University, narrates
with Stuttering. well-researched story on childhood stut- the video. The children who star range
Mielczarek con- tering included a boxed sidebar with 10 in age from first-grade to high school,
veyed to readers tips for talking to clip out and post on and they offer frank and sometimes dif-
what it’s like to Natalia Mielczarek the refrigerator door. ferent views of stuttering.
stutter as a teenager Each of The Foundation’s first place For example, Matthew, age 10, says
and offered sources of help and inspira- winners received a cash award of $250. about his stuttering, “It’s no big deal;”
tion. To submit an article for next year’s but Kate, age 9, worries about her
First place in the category of Media Awards for Excellence, write The speech, what is going to happen next
Columnists went to Linda Lewis Stuttering Foundation at 3100 Walnut and whether or not she’ll stutter.
Griffith, of The San Luis Obispo Grove Road, Suite 603, P.O. Box 11749, Arianne , age 14,
Tribune. Classroom Memphis, TN 38111-0749, call toll-free says, “It’s not a
situations can be 1-800-992-9392, or email info@stutter- big deal because
terrifying for chil- inghelp.org. □ it isn’t about who
dren who stutter, I am as a person.”
and Griffith provid- Kids who pre-
ed some good ad- Give the United Way viewed the video
vice to teachers and at the Friends
parents in her col- Do you give through United conference in
umn, Stuttering Way? You can still directly July had some
Linda Lewis Kids Need designate your gift to the SFA! pretty frank opin-
Griffith Assurance from Proof of nonprofit status can be ions too, enthusi-
Teachers. sent to your employer by fax, astically casting
Parent to Parent advice columnist
Jodie Lynn won second place for her
mail or email. Intent on the film. Continued on page 4

4. 4 www.stutteringhelp.org 1-800-992-9392
Celebrity Golf Tournament Benefits SFA
A low golf score can people gathered
mean a large donation to for a banquet
help those who stutter. and auction that
The SFA was a benefi- raised $20,000
ciary of the Al Geiberger for charity.
“Mr. 59” Golf Invitational “It’s one of
Tournament this spring. the greatest ac-
co-organizer Golfers gathered April complishments
and long-time 22-24 in Palm Desert, CA a human being
SFA friend to play with golf greats Al can make to go Jane Fraser and Ken
Bob Foote.
Geiberger and special from barely Venturi at the “Mr. 59”
guest Ken Venturi, former U.S. Open putting together Golf Invitational.
Champion, CBS sports commentator, two words to
and SFA spokesman. being a national broadcaster up in the
The tournament commemorates the booth,” said amateur golfer and busi-
score of 59—at the time the lowest ever nessman Gary Shemano of Venturi.
in an official PGA Tour event—shot by “We are thrilled to be the recipients of
Al Geiberger on June 10, 1977, at the this generous gift to the Foundation,” Ken, Kathleen Venturi and Al Geiberger at the
Danny Thomas-Memphis Classic, a ben- said SFA president Jane Fraser in Palm banquet. Golfers pay as much as $975 for two
efit for St. Jude’s Hospital. Desert. “On behalf of all those who stut- days of golf and parties with Geiberger and his
“If I had to pick a golf course where ter and their families, I wish to thank celebrity guest. “The tournament is certainly for
a good cause. They asked me if I’d come help
you could not shoot 59, it’s the golf Ken Venturi, Al Geiberger and all those and I said I’d love to,” Venturi told The Desert
course he shot it on,” said Venturi, who associated with the “Mr. 59” Invitational Sun. The Palm Desert newspaper prominently
stuttered severely as a youngster, to 240 who made this possible.” □ covered the tournament’s 20th year.
Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids is About Friends
Continued from page 3 “Well, my best advice for kids who
themselves in the role of “film critics.” stutter would be probably that they’re not
“What we want you to do is tell us alone and that there are a ton of other kids
your opinion,” said Lisa Scott Trautman, out there who stutter,” says Naomi, in the
co-producer, in introducing the video to video.
a roomful of 5-11 year olds. “Anyone interested in helping kids
“Can we give it a rating?” asked one learn more about stuttering will want to
10-year-old. “With a good rating, some see this tape,” said SLP Joe Donaher of
movies make like $300 million.” Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “The
Since The Stuttering Foundation is a children featured are a perfect example of
nonprofit organi- how to openly and
zation that makes honestly handle
its publications stuttering.” Joe Donaher with Debbie and Dan Squires
available at or “This is an im- at the SFA table at the Friends conference.
below cost, that’s portant tool for
not likely. families, friends,
However, one and teachers of
thing that is true kids who stutter
about the film is too, added Jane
that, “people Fraser, SFA presi-
should treat you like every- dent.
one else,” said Linnea, age 8. Stuttering: For
“I liked the basketball Kids, By Kids is
[Swish]. It was the best part,” available in VHS
said Danielle, age 9. or DVD free of
While the ratings systems charge to all pub-
were a bit erratic, ranging lic libraries. For
from “2 thumbs up” to more information,
“A++++” to “3 stars,” one call 1-800-992-
primary message from the 9392. □
video came through strong Lindsey, top left, and Lisa, bottom, listen to comments. At right, Samantha and Linnea write reviews. Kids
and consistent on everyone’s can be tough critics, but most agreed that seeing other kids talk about their stuttering was pretty cool, they
critique: “it’s okay to stutter.” liked what they saw, and “other kids who stutter” should watch Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids.

5. FALL 2004 1-800-992-9392 5
Annenberg Continued from page 1 Booths Rock at ASHA and TSHA Conferences
to Michael B. Grizzard, M.D., a consul- Baltimore was the setting for the
tant on the project. largest ASHA Schools Conference ever,
A new third edition of The Child and the SFA booth kept pace.
Who Stutters: To the Pediatrician re- “The 2004 conference drew more
flects gains made in the field in the in- than 700 people, and it felt like all of
them were equally drawn to our booth,”
The SFA will have reached said Deborah Squires. “With wonderful
43,571 pediatric offices speech-language pathologists such as
Vivian Sisskin and Barbara Moore-
with the latest information Brown helping out, of course it became a
on stuttering. mecca for SLPs seeking answers to
questions about stuttering treatment.
tervening years. The book now includes “It’s always great to hear how our ma-
an etiology and a chart delineating the terials are making a difference and how
differences between normal disfluen- much SLPs appreciate the affordability Jennifer Watson, left, and Deb Squires in the
cies, mild stuttering and severe stutter- and quality. At the end of the two days, SFA booth in San Antonio, TX.
ing, with suggestions for when an SLP all that was left fit easily in a tote bag.”
should be consulted. San Antonio was the site for the Stuttering Foundation can help.
The Child Who Stutters: to the Texas Speech-Hearing Association con- Thanks to Jennifer Watson, Ph.D., of
Pediatrician may be downloaded for ference, which also provided a wonder- Texas Christian University, for her fabu-
free from the Foundation’s Web site. It ful opportunity to talk with SLPs, hear lous help in the booth! Thanks, also, to
is also available on the Foundation’s about their needs, help answer questions, Russ Hicks and Joseph Diaz for serving
Spanish site at www.tartamudez.org. □ and let them see first-hand how The as “official photographers.” □
Reaching Out
Buddy, My Buddy,
Worldwide Through
The Radio Your Buddies Will Miss You
A voice advocating for Personal remembrances on the retire- time or another.
those who stutter was heard ment of Buddy Morgan from MPL All the people
across the world this spring, Media and as videographer for SFA. SFA selected to
when SFA President Jane be in the videos
Carroll Guitar, SFA video coordinator: were truly profes-
Fraser was interviewed by The Voice of
America radio. Buddy was not only delightful to sionals. Buddy Morgan
The focus of the show, which airs in work with while we were shooting in I've learned a
foreign countries across the globe but not various locations but also did an out- lot about stutter-
in the U.S., was on Stuttering Awareness standing job in coaching the professors ing over the years. I stuttered myself as
Week. It provided an opportune time to and directing them in sometimes seem- a real young child.
let people know about resources and or- ingly endless takes to get it just right!
In the studio, Buddy worked tire- Jane Fraser:
ganizations available to them wherever I first met Buddy back in the late
they live. lessly to knit together video images,
audio tracks, graphics, and music for a 1980s or so when we first began to
The Foundation alone provides publi- work on reproducing some old films
cations in 22 languages and mails mate- seamless production. He had humor,
Southern charm and a real interest in from the '70s: the Van Riper series, the
rials to more than 60 countries each year. old Hal Starbuck tapes and the early
Of course, the Web site is accessible helping those who stutter.
Prevention of Stuttering series.
worldwide, and offers an international Buddy Morgan: Thanks to encouragement—and
referral list of speech-language patholo- I've been in Memphis since 1959, prodding—by Charles Van Riper, we
gists and programs specializing in stut- and worked all over the world filming began to turn our attention to producing
tering treatment. The SFA’s Spanish site, for the National Cotton Council, learn- a new generation of videotapes, the first
www.tartamudez.org, reaches an ever- ing my trade. It was film back then be- of which was directed by Ed Conture,
growing number of people as well. fore we converted to video. I've been then at Syracuse University.
Fraser was a guest on The Larry with MPL for the past 25 years, and Buddy and the Motion Picture Lab
Meiller Show on Wisconsin Public converted them to video, too. team came into the picture in "glue-
Radio again this year. The 45- minute What was really nice about working ing" the footage of professors, children,
live segment focused on National with SFA was that there was always a and the narration together into a seam-
Stuttering Awareness Week, and what script: detail was taken care of. It was less product. And that of course was
can be done to help those who stutter. always fun because the people were so only the beginning.
The call-in talk show aired through- nice and willing to try something new. Now some 27 tapes later, there is not
out the greater Wisconsin area, and I guess I've worked with every one a one in which Buddy Morgan didn't
prompted much feedback from that and of the professors. I shot them all at one play an important role. □
surrounding states. □

6. 6 www.stutteringhelp.org 1-800-992-9392
Teens performed with cast members
from STOMP, music director Everett
Bradley, and others before a packed
house at the Lucille Lortel Theater.
Emmy-award winning actress Jane
Alexander was the host.
“The Our Time Gala was spectacu-
lar!” said director Taro Alexander. “It
was incredi-
bly powerful
to celebrate
the courage,
strength, joy,
and creativi-
Director Taro Alexander, right, and Jane
Fraser, SFA president, congratulate Alan ty of people 6,000 Strong and Growing
Rabinowitz on receiving the 2004 award. who stutter. Cleo Brooks, senior librarian for disabled
The evening services, looks at SFA publications in the
filled us all collection in the stunning new Seattle
NSAW Gala in New York with hope Public Library. Over 6,000 public libraries
Continued from page 1 now shelve SFA materials, which are pro-
Our Time Theatre is a nonprofit or- and pride, Eric Gunhus, left, an vided to them free of charge. Check out our
ganization dedicated to providing an and we look actor in the Broadway library listings page online at www.stutter-
artistic home for young people and forward to show,the SFA Producers,
touts
The
newsletter inghelp.org to see what’s available at your
adults who stutter. celebrating to Everett Bradley, Our library. If they don’t have SFA books and
next spring.” Time musical director. tapes, please have them call 1-800-992-9392
To celebrate NSAW, the Our Time or email info@stutteringhelp.org.
Special Education Law and Children Who Stutter
A child who stutters may be eligible Getting Started and the Screening During an eval-
to receive speech therapy for free from If a child attends elementary school, uation, a parent
the local school district—even a child as the teacher may recommend a screening. should tell the
young as three years old or one attending The parent of a preschooler may contact speech-language
a private school. the local school district directly and ask pathologist (SLP) when the child first
Federal law mandates that state edu- that their child be screened for stuttering started to talk, when he first noticed the
cation agencies and local school districts or ask their pediatrician to make a referral. stuttering, whether it has changed over
provide special education services to The child may be screened by one time, how her talking changes in different
children ages 3-21, including speech person or by a team of professionals. speaking situations, and whether there is
therapy. Parents will be asked about the child’s a history of stuttering in the family.
To help parents understand special general development, their current con- Is My Child Eligible?
education law, the SFA has published a cerns about his speech, and general in- After the evaluation, a team com-
new brochure, Special Education Law formation about the family. Then, the prised of the parent, the SLP and some-
and Children Who Stutter. person or team will play with the child, one from the local school will determine
Written by Lisa Scott Trautman, whether the child is eligible for speech
Ph.D., the brochure explains in simple, therapy. The eligibility decision is based
direct, parent-centered language how
Even a child as young
on 1) the testing results from the evalua-
children are identified, screened, evalu- as 3 years old or one in tion, 2) how these results compare to the
ated, and determined to be eligible for private school may be eligibility guidelines used by the school
services. There is a lengthy discussion of eligible for free speech district, 3) parent input, 4) how the
how speech therapy plans are developed therapy from the local child’s stuttering affects him in school,
for each child and the parents’ roles in and 5) the team’s opinions regarding
the process. Differences in these pro- school district. whether the child would benefit from
cesses for children who are enrolled in therapy.
private schools are discussed, and speech listen to his talking, and observe how he The Individualized Education Plan
therapy options are presented for chil- plays with toys and interacts with others. If the child is eligible, an Individual
dren who are ineligible for services from After the screening, a team of profes- Education Plan (IEP) will be written
the schools. sionals will meet to discuss the results. If within 30 days. If a child is not eligible,
The full, four-color brochure is avail- further evaluation is necessary, the par- parents must be notified why in writing
able for 10 cents through the ents will be contacted for permission to and given information about what to do
Foundation’s catalog and online store, or schedule a comprehensive evaluation to if they disagree.
may be downloaded for free from the determine whether a child’s stuttering The IEP lays out the therapy plan for
Web site. While space does not permit makes her eligible for speech therapy. the child and states what services the
the full text to be printed here, following The law also requires that parents be on child will receive. It is developed with
is an edited version with some major the team that makes the final decision re- input from parents, the child’s teacher,
points about getting help. garding eligibility. Continued on page 12

7. FALL 2004 1-800-992-9392 7
New DVD Offers Strategies for Treating Preschoolers
Most experts agree that early inter- Stutter as a resource (both video and
vention is critical in stuttering therapy. handouts) for my course in stuttering,”
Yet many have questions about work- said Amit Bajaj, PhD, Assistant
ing directly with preschoolers. Professor at Emerson
In this new video, Kristin
Chmela, one of today’s
New! College, Boston.
The nearly two-hour
leading professionals in long video covers such
fluency in young children, topics as the assessment
The video team: Barry Guitar, Jane offers comprehensive and and treatment of
Fraser, Frances Cook, Peter Ramig,
Carroll Guitar, and Lisa Scott Trautman. practical strategies for preschoolers who stutter,
successful intervention. guidelines based on new
Video to Demonstrate Demonstrations of actual research on when to provide
therapy sessions model treatment, and a structured ap-
Therapy Techniques easy speech, and parents proach to involve parents.
Work has begun on a DVD that will share their stories about being Working With Preschoolers
demonstrate fluency shaping and stut- involved in treatment. Who Stutter: Successful Strategies for
tering modification techniques with “In my opinion, hers is a very well Intervention is available from the SFA
people of all ages who stutter. put-together program for preschool in- on VHS or DVD, and includes a 27-
“This videotape is going to include tervention. I am certainly planning to page booklet that may be photocopied.
footage of a variety of clinicians, all use Working With Preschoolers Who Call or visit the online catalog. □
specialists in the area of stuttering,
who use these fluency shaping and
stuttering modification strategies in News Shorts
their clinical practice,” said Patricia Surviving Librarian Says Thanks—
Zebrowski, Ph.D., University of Iowa. Adversity Send More, Please!
“Demonstrations with actual people
who stutter across the life span is Two of the SFA’s “As an adult who had a severe stutter-
something that has not been captured heroes and spokes- ing problem as a child, I realize how
on videotape. Our hopes are that any men are subjects in limiting it can be. I am forever grateful
clinician can use these skills and adapt a new book by to my first grade
them to their own personal style.” Gord Carley. teacher, Mrs.
“This tape will address a need that Former Chicago Belzer, who deter-
has been sought by many clinicians Bulls great Bob mined that it was
over decades,” added Peter Ramig, Love and actor Nicholas not that I did not
Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder. Brendon talk about their struggles with know the answer
“We frequently hear from clinicians stuttering and how they overcame their when she called
who wish they could watch other clin- greatest challenges in Surviving upon me, just that I was too embarrassed
icians teach clients to use certain tech- Adversity. The book includes 30 other to try to speak; and it was not that I was
niques. This video is going to fill that profiles of individuals who have over- unable ro read, just that I was unable to
come different types of adversity. The□ read aloud, and arranged for me to have
need,” said Lisa Scott Trautman,
Ph.D., The Florida State University. book may be purchased through the speech therapy,” wrote Karen Worrall,
“The inspiration for this project was SFA for $12.95. Carley has generously director of the Torrington Library. Ms.
the videotape series by Dr. Charles offered to donate 50 percent of the Worrall listed a number of SFA publica-
sales price to the SFA! □ tions the library shelves, and asked for
Van Riper and Dr. Harold Starbuck
that is still available from SFA,” ex- free copies of more resources. Ms.
plained Carroll Guitar, M.L.S., project Worrall, we’re happy to oblige. □
chairperson. “Jane Fraser especially International Stuttering
wanted to produce a DVD that would Awareness Day is Oct. 22
show therapy in action with master International
NSSLHA Chapters Give
clinicians. While Van Riper and S t u t t e r i n g to Stuttering Foundation
Starbuck focused mainly on stuttering Awareness day will Thanks to National Student Speech,
modification, the current project will be Oct. 22 this year, Language and Hearing Association
include fluency shaping and a combi- with the theme of chapters at St. Joseph’s College in New
nation of those techniques. The clini- “International Year of the Child Who York and at the University of Cincinnati
cians involved with this project are all Stutters.” Professionals and others inter- in Ohio who sent gifts to the SFA. “We
top-notch, devoted to stuttering thera- ested in stuttering are invited to partici- would like to contribute money that will
py and, combined, have decades of ex- pate in an online conference Oct. 1-22 at make a direct difference, such as the
perience with clients of all ages. It is a http://www.stutteringhomepage.com. A much-needed videotape for school-age
particular pleasure to work with special section will be available this children,” wrote the chapter in New
Frances Cook of the Michael Palin year for children and teens who stutter. York in sending in their donation. Great
Centre in London, who brings a unique CEUs or college credit are available for timing! Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids is
perspective from the UK.” □
a fee. See the web site for details. □ just out in VHS and DVD. □

8. 8 www.stutteringhelp.org 1-800-992-9392
Dear SFA: Reader Response
SpeechEasy and Children Stuttering Foundation was the first year
Dear SFA: Nicholas Brendon was chosen as
We’ve given the idea of using the spokesman. Personally, I do not stutter,
SpeechEasy with children a lot of and I can’t even imagine what a stutterer
thought. goes through.
It would be unfortunate, we think, if As an avid Nick fan I have read a lot
young children were fitted with the de- of articles where he speaks about his bat-
vice as they respond positively to a vari- tle with stuttering and on some occasions
ety of traditional treatments. As far as we I was personally able to hear him talk
know, there is no research on the effects about it. You couldn’t have picked a bet-
of Speech Easy on young children. ter spokesman. Nicholas speaks from his
Along with treating the stuttering in heart and grabs your attention and touch-
children, sometimes there are other treat- es your soul. He’s the perfect role model.
ment needs, such as language, articula- The perfect inspiration.
tion, etc. Only if an older child has had Recently I purchased three posters Mary Kozak is an SLP in Hagerstown, Ind.
a history of unsuccessful treatment and if from the Foundation, all of Nick, and Larissa is her 6th grade student, who has
placed them in my high school, my been inspired by stories about children who
the child does not have avoidance behav- stutter. Now it’s her turn to inspire others,
iors, might it be considered. nephew’s elementary school, and in the said Mary, in sending the story below.
The child, also, should be able to local library. The response has been
achieve an easy onset. A child who clut- amazing! A freshman boy from my
ters/stutters probably would not be a school e-mailed me and explained how I Can Do Anything
good candidate since those children have terrific he thought the Stuttering This is it. Larissa gave her speech in
difficulty being aware of their speech Foundation was. He was also in awe of front of her classmates and won the con-
and the use of easy onset. the fact that Nicholas has a stutter and test. Now it’s time to speak in front of a
In other words, individual speech and told me that “It’s just so wonderful to see larger audiecne with parents, teachers and
language assessments are as necessary his face on that poster.” admnistrators. She seems cool and calm
with the device as in any other treatment The Stuttering Foundation has touched as she approaches the microphone. I hold
plan. Caution is the key word. the hearts of so many people and I am my breath as she begins.
Drs. Jeanna & Glyndon Riley very proud to be a supporter. She uses her compensatory strategies:
Riley Speech and Language Institute Tara Ripke pacing, slower rate and slide-outs, with
Tustin, California ease and confidence. I think back to the
Editor’s Note: Nicholas has worked girl I met over two years ago, who
with the SFA since 2001. In that time, thought she was the only person in the
Nick’s the Best! www.NickBrendon.com visitors have world who stuttered. Among other
I just want to let you know that your contributed more than $5,000 to the char- things, she has learned about famous peo-
Foundation is remarkable. I cannot begin ity. Helping the SFA is a significant out- ple who stutter. She especially liked King
to tell you how many lives you have come of Nick’s role on Buffy. You can still George, who “looked like he was going
touched and helped. contribute to the SFA through Nick’s to throw up” before his coronation
The way I became familiar with The Birthday Project on his site. speech. She read about other children
A Picture’s Worth... Artwork, left, by David
Sakiewicz, 10, who
writes, “I feel that my
speech is like a dark
cloud looming and fol-
lowing me, and when I
use my speech utensils
I put on a raincoat and
I feel in control!”
Artwork, right, by
Trevor Davis, 8, who
writes, “ Speech looks
like a river flowing and
then someone put a
rock in it so it can’t
flow.” Submitted by
Charito Shook, a bilin-
gual SLP at Libby
Elementary School in
Oceanside, Calif.

9. FALL 2004 1-800-992-9392 9
who stutter and wrote letters to them. But to help my students with stuttering. At Joey’s Story
most of all, we have laughed together speech department meetings, it seems all Dear Stuttering Foundation
while sharing feelings and ideas. of the other therapists share these same
I have been working on my stuttering a
As she ends her speech, my teary eyes feelings.
lot lately. Our speech therapist told us that
are filled with joy as the audience claps in I appreciate your materials from The
on special occasions you can’t stutter, but
appreciation. As we smile at each other, Stuttering Foundation. We’re reading
when that special occasion ends, it don’t
she and I both know the secret to suc- through the Sometimes I Just Stutter book
care if you stutter or not.
cess—confidence in who you are as a together and I am copying it and sending
I am eleven years old now and I have
unique individual. it home for them to share with their fami-
been stuttering for 6-8 years and I want to
Mary Kozak lies.
stop stuttering. I have been working real-
Joey is a 5th grader with good self-es-
This is about my D.A.R.E. speech and ly hard on it, and now I am doing a lot
teem. His stuttering does not hold him
how I got through it. D.A.R.E. is a pro- better on it.
back from participating in school. He is a
gram at my school that teaches kids about I sure hope you get my letter and write
bright boy who knows his sports statistics.
drugs. A good idea is to practice with an me back, because I really want to stop
When he is retelling sports facts and when
adult and pretend aliens are in the audi- stuttering.
he gets up to perform before a crowd, his
ence. Aliens don’t make me feel nervous, From Joey Thornton
speech is more fluent than most. He also
like people do, during a speech. My
came in third place in our county’s
stomach does flips when I have to give a Blake’s Story About His
spelling bee.
speech. I use slide-outs and it is very Stuttering
Blake is a “cool” and very intelligent
helpful. A really good tip is to read your I think that kids who stutter should not
5th grader. He is quite a leader and a
speech over and over again to an adult. feel sad about it. I have been going to
straight “A” student. He’s great and en-
Talk slowly and pause between your sen- therapy for 2 years, and she has [taught]
joys math and drawing and we’ve dis-
tences. Don’t be afraid to try and give me how to overcome stuttering.
cussed being an engineer, architect,
your speech in front of a lot of people. If I am ten years old and I have been stut-
graphic illustrator, and so on. I remind
I can do it, then I know you can too! tering all my life and I don’t stutter a lot
him that he’s a leader and others really
Larissa Nakamura now. Kids shouldn’t be upset about stut-
watch him and copy what he’s doing.
Thank you for your time and for hav- tering. I feel special about it, and other
Our Stories ing a place where children can feel at kids should too.
Dear SFA: home with their stuttering and communi- Blake Utley
Following are letters from my stu- cate those feelings, while being totally un-
dents whom I treat for stuttering. As a derstood. Send your letters to SFA, P.O. Box
speech therapist, I often feel FRUS- Christine Dietrich, MA, CCC-SLP 11749, Memphis, TN 38111-0749 or
TRATED and INADEQUATE in trying Rockingham, NC email info@stutteringhelp.org.
Language Processing an elastic cap. Using this technique we can by words that rhymed or did not rhyme
Continued from page 1 measure changes in brain activity on a mil- with a preceding word. This experiment
ly these movements are produced across lisecond by millisecond basis. The partici- allowed us to look at how phonological
different language tasks. The main find- pants in these studies were asked to read processing (without the grammatical or
ing from these studies is that when lan- words that were flashed on a computer semantic demands) may differ in adults
guage demands are relatively low, the monitor one word at a time. We then aver- who stutter. For the most part, the aver-
speech movements of adults who stutter aged the brain activity that was elicited by aged brain waves and behavioral re-
are similar in consistency to those of nor- specific aspects of the language stimuli, sponses of the adults who stutter were
mally fluent adults. However, when the such as whether the word is a content word very similar to those of normally fluent
linguistic demands of an utterance be- (e.g., “cow”) or a function word (e.g., speakers. It was only in the most difficult
come more complex, the additional pro- “into”). This averaging of the brain waves rhyme decision, when the two words
cessing demands affect the speech motor results in a measure known as an event-re- looked alike but did not rhyme (e.g.,
control systems of adults who stutter to a lated brain potential (ERP). When we ex- gown, own) that the reactions times were
greater extent than those who are nor- amined the averaged brain waves of the slowed in the adults who stutter. The av-
mally fluent. This is direct evidence of adults who stutter, we found they were re- eraged brain waves for the rhyme deci-
how task demands in other neural sys- duced in amplitude compared to matched sion was larger over the right hemi-
tems, such those involved in language normally fluent group of adults. We found sphere compared to the left in the adults
processing, can disrupt the neural signals reduced amplitudes of averaged brain re- who stutter but equal in the normally flu-
for the speech movements themselves. sponses in adults who stutter for function ent speakers. Taken together, these find-
A second approach we have taken to and content words, for words read in an un- ings indicate that the neural systems for
better understand how language process- expected context (semantic anomalies, e.g. some aspects of language processing
ing demands may affect stuttering is to The boy hung his coat in the peanut), and may operate differently in adults who
examine brain responses to language violations in verb agreement (e.g., stutter even when there are no overt
tasks when participants are not required Everyday they travels this road). Our most speaking demands. Overall, in both the
to speak. To do this we recorded the elec- recent study which will appear in the movement tracking and brain response
trical activity that is generated by groups Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing studies, we found that increased com-
of brain cells (electroencephalography) Research in December, 2004, examined plexity, or greater demands on the lan-
with 32 electrodes that are embedded in averaged brain responses that were elicited Continued on page 12

10. 10 www.stutteringhelp.org 1-800-992-9392
■ The Stuttering Foundation two- therapy through the public schools.
NEWSBRIEFS
day conference for speech-lan-
Chapleau, Montreal, Quebec, Canada,
H2K 3H6; 1-877-353-1042. Please Instead, parents may have to find a
guage pathologists working with enclose $20.00 Canadian to cover print-
school-age children who stutter, speech-language pathologist in a clin-
ing, postage, and handling costs.
Practical Ideas for the School ic or private practice to see the child,
Clinician, will be held in June, and pay for therapy themselves or
2005. For dates, place, and an have it billed through their health in-
application form, call the Stuttering Special Education Law and surance. The Stuttering Foundation
Foundation at 1-800-992-9392 or Stuttering Therapy
check www.stutteringhelp.org. can provide a list of SLPs who spe-
Continued from page 6 cialize in stuttering therapy. □
■ The Stuttering Foundation
Eastern Workshop, Diagnosis and input from parents, the child’s teacher,
Treatment of Children Who Stutter: and from the special education team
Practical Strategies, directed by member(s) who will work with the Language Processing
Susan Dietrich, Ph.D., Sheryl Continued from page 9
Gottwald, Ph.D., Edward G. child. For stuttering, this is typically
Conture, Ph.D. in collaboration an SLP. guage processing system, enhanced
with Diane Parris, M.A., will be The IEP includes: a statement differences between adults who stutter
held at Boston University. Call for about the child’s present level of per- and normally fluent adults.
dates, place, and an application form, call formance, annual speech therapy The studies described above have
the Stuttering Foundation at 1-800-992-
9392 or check www.stutteringhelp.org. goals, services to be provided and focused on language and motor inter-
■ The Stuttering Foundation Workshop, who will provide them, the amount of actions in adults who stutter. This body
Diagnosis and Treatment of Children Who time services will be provided each of work lays the groundwork for the
Stutter: Practical Strategies, directed by week, and how progress will be mea- next phase of our research which is to
Alex Johnson, Ph.D. and Patrice sured. look at similar types of interactions in
Carothers, M.A. For dates, place, and an The IEP is a one-year plan devel- young children who stutter. Our re-
application form, call the Stuttering
Foundation at 1-800-992-9392 or check oped with the parents’ input. Parents search group (Anne Smith and
www.stutteringhelp.org. must also consent for the child to be Christine Weber-Fox from the
■ The Stuttering Foundation two-week placed in speech therapy. At least Department of Audiology and Speech
Workshop for Specialists will be held at once a year, a meeting will be sched- Sciences and Howard Zelaznik from
the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, in the Department of Health and
June 20-July 2, 2005, directed by Patricia uled to review the child’s progress.
Zebrowski, Ph.D. and Toni Cilek, M.A. The IEP is a flexible document that Kinesiology at Purdue University) very
For more information, contact the can be modified if the child’s needs much appreciate the support from the
Stuttering Foundation at 1-800-992-9392, change before a year has passed. National Institute of Deafness and
or write Dr. Zebrowski, c/o SFA, 3100 Parents have the right to have the Other Communication Disorders of the
Walnut Grove Road, Suite 603, Memphis, National Institutes of Health
TN 38111-0749. This unique workshop team’s recommendations reviewed by
brings together speech-language patholo- an outside person or have the child in- (Physiological Correlates of Stuttering,
gists from all over the world. dependently evaluated. They may R01 00559). □
■ For those wanting to purchase a poster also take an advocate with them to
entitled The Bill of Rights and
Responsibilities of PWS, contact Michael any meeting. For example, if parents
The Stuttering Foundation of America is
Sugarman at MSugarman1@aol.com. It are paying for private speech therapy, a tax-exempt organization under section
represents the combined effort of the IFA they may take the therapist to school 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
and ISA. meetings to help plan the child’s pub- and is classified as a private operating
■ Cours d'immersion a la fluidite offrira lic school therapy. foundation as defined in section
des l'automne 2004, une fin de semaine in- 4942(j)(3). Charitable contributions and
tensive sur la fluidite. Pour renseigne- Children in Private Schools bequests to the Foundation are tax-
ments, faire venir un courriel a abcbe- Local public school districts are re- deductible, subject to limitations under the Code.
gaiement@sympatico.ca. quired to identify, evaluate, and pro-
■ LISTSERV for doctoral students specializ- vide services to children in private For Combined Federal Campaign donors,
ing in stuttering. The intent of this list is to
serve as an open forum for doctoral students. schools just as they must for children please note that our code number for the
Membership is limited to doctoral students attending public schools. The main 2004-2005 CFC campaign is
only. To subscribe, send the following message difference for students in private CFC #2539.
to listserv@listserv.temple.edu: subscribe stut- schools is in how services are deliv-
terdoc firstname lastname or contact Joe
ered and the replacement of the IEP We are proud that over 95 cents
Donaher at turtlecraw@aol.com. of every dollar goes directly into
■ For those interested in joining Toastmasters with a “Service Plan.” Instead of an
helping those who stutter.
International as a way to improve fluency, SLP coming to the child’s own
communication or public speaking skills, their school, the child may have to go to the
address is: Toastmasters International, Inc., closest elementary school for therapy.
Attention: Membership Department, P.O. Box
9052, Mission Viejo, CA 92690, Telephone: The Service Plan establishes annual
goals for the child and specifies the
STUTTERING
FOUNDATION
TM
(714) 858-8255; Fax: (714) 858-1207.
■ For those wanting to obtain a copy of services to be provided. Personnel
Self-Therapy for the Stutterer in Japanese, from the child’s school are invited to A Nonprofit Organization
write to Dr. Shokichi Nakajima, 2-21-1 help determine eligibility and develop Since 1947 — Helping Those Who Stutter
Ogawa Machida-shi, Tokyo 194, Japan, the Service Plan. 3100 Walnut Grove Road, Suite 603
telephone/fax: 0427 (96) 5092. P.O. Box 11749 ● Memphis, TN 38111-0749
■ Self-Therapy for the Stutterer is avail- If My Child is Ineligible
1-800-992-9392 ● 1-800-967-7700
able in French. Write to the Association Sometimes a child who is stuttering www.stutteringhelp.org
des Begues du Canada, 2596 A rue may not be eligible for free speech info@stutteringhelp.org