The Stuttering Clinic at National Speech
Our Vision is......
- To offer a staff of clinicians that are passionate about working with children and adults who stutter
- To perform broad-based fluency assessments that focus on identifying the unique factors that interact and contribute to how a person experiences stuttering
- To provide a comfortable and supportive environment for people who stutter to develop into confident and effective communicators
- To individualize treatments so that the program is fit to the person rather than the person being fit into the program
- To employ a team approach that includes parents, significant others, siblings, teachers and/or other service providers in the treatment process
In addition to evaluations and individual therapy, the Stuttering Clinic provides the following services:
- Parent Training Program: The parent training program is geared towards families with pre-school aged children who stutter. This program focuses on educating families on stuttering and helping them to make subtle changes in the environment and the way they interact with their child that enhances fluency and helps their child build healthy communication attitudes. A more child-directed approach is integrated, when appropriate.
- Stuttering Groups: The Stuttering Clinic offers several stuttering groups where children, teens and adults have the opportunity to learn helpful techniques and practice using them with their peers in a comforting and supportive environment. In addition to practicing techniques, activities are developed to increase member's knowledge and understanding of stuttering, build confidence in their communication skills and address negative feelings and attitudes associated with stuttering.
- Parent Groups: Treating a child/teenager that stutters requires a team approach. Parents need to be on board in order for the child to reach their highest potential as communicators. Parents often experience a variety of emotions surrounding the diagnosis of a fluency disorder including feelings of confusion, frustration, and concern for the future. These groups are a nice way for parents to meet other parents that are experiencing the same emotions and experiences, while also providing them the ability to ask direct questions to a speech pathologist.
- Teletherapy: Teletherapy is a method of delivering speech services through face-to-face meetings with licensed speech/language pathologists over the internet. Through tele-therapy, the Stuttering Clinic has been able to provide services to families who live in areas where therapy options are limited or to families that are having difficulty with scheduling or transportation for in-clinic visits. To date, the Stuttering Clinic has provided tele-therapy within the United States as well as in Singapore, Serbia, and Saudi Arabia.
Our Stuttering clinic is directed by Brooke Leiman Edwards, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, a Board Recognized Specialist in Fluency Disorders. If you have any questions, please call (301) 493-0023 and ask for Brooke Leiman Edwards MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-F. Brooke also hosts a blog, The Stuttering Source, that is focused on building awareness and knowledge of stuttering and its treatment.