"I am enthusiastic about the Ally of Stuttering program because I think that we must do everything we can to educate speech-language pathologists and others about stuttering... What I try to help them recognize is this: every speech-language pathologist can be a superb clinician for helping people who stutter; the key is to understand the true nature of the condition. Of course it is important to understand the research literature, and of course it is necessary to possess the clinical skills necessary for providing effective, evidence-based speech therapy. Still, the most valuable lesson that any clinician can learn about stuttering is how it impacts each person on a very individual and human level. Recognizing the ways that stuttering can affect people gives us the opportunity to provide therapy that helps people live their lives to the fullest, regardless of whether or how much they stutter.

The Ally of Stuttering program gives clinicians a stepping stone in that journey of understanding - a “first step” into a broader world of stuttering community and support that will lead to lasting improvements in their clinical skills. As clinicians learn that they can make a real and substantive difference in the lives of people who stutter, and as they see their clients achieving success both in and out of the therapy room, they are more likely to take further steps to educate themselves about stuttering and to provide support for the stuttering community. For these reasons, I am proud to be an Ally of Stuttering, and I am eager to see the expansion of this program to clinicians throughout the US and around the world.