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National Stuttering Association

Purple and turquoise starburst with the letters NSA in the middle.
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How We Operate

The National Stuttering Association (NSA) is a non-for-profit organization that is mainly supported by our members. We are a lean operation. Our Board of Directors serve without compensation and travel to board meetings at their own expense. Expert presenters donate their time at our workshops and national conference. Much of our work is carried out by volunteers who lead our cross-country network of local support groups, author publications, organize workshops and staff our national conference. Most of the NSA’s support comes from member donations and the proceeds of our national conference.

Publications and Outreach

  • Newsletters: The NSA publishes two newsletters, Letting Go and Family Voices, that are available online and in print. These publications provide both education and support for adults and teens who stutter, children who stutter and their parents, speech professionals and others interested in stuttering. NSANewsletters
  • Brochures and booklets: We create, print and distribute brochures, booklets and posters on a variety of stuttering-related topics. https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/nsa/giftstore.jsp Most are distributed free of charge to parents, speech therapists, schools, hospitals, and to adults who stutter. Over the years we have distributed more than 1.5 million pieces of literature, 12,000 posters and 7500 DVDs. We have also created and published several books on stuttering and offer these and many more through our website.
  • Online resources: The NSA web site, www.westutter.org, receives more than 10,000 visits a month and is updated frequently with the latest information about stuttering and the NSA. Thousands have joined our Facebook page and others follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms. The NSA also operates several email discussion groups for people who stutter. Our toll-free telephone hotline, 800-WE STUTTER, is the initial point of contact for many people who stutter. We also receive more than 200 emails a day.

Support for Adults and Children Who Stutter

  • Chapters: The NSA’s backbone is its extensive network of local support groups across the U.S., including a growing number of teen and family chapters. Support group participation is a proven way for people who stutter to gain self-confidence, overcome the social impact of stuttering and get the most out of speech therapy. The NSA provides administration, training and background checks for the local volunteers who lead our chapters and connects people who stutter with their local chapters.
  • National conference: The NSA’s annual conference, largest stuttering support event in the world, attracts around 700-1,000 people to a different city each year. The four-day event brings together adults and children who stutter, parents and family members and leading professional experts in stuttering research and treatment. The program includes nationally prominent keynote speakers, workshops, special programs for families and teens and social activities. Member donations fund scholarships to bring low-income families to the conference.
  • Regional Adult Workshops and Youth Days: The NSA has sponsored numerous Youth Day workshops since 1987. Children who stutter, their parents and speech therapists attend Saturday workshops led by experts in stuttering treatment who donate their time. Regional adult workshops follow a similar pattern. The NSA pays travel expenses to bring expert presenters to regional workshops.

Education and Advocacy

  • Professional relations: As the largest consumer organization for stuttering, the NSA works closely with speech-language pathologists and their professional organizations. We worked in partnership with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to establish specialty certification for speech-language pathologists who specialize in stuttering. The NSA is an exhibitor at the annual ASHA convention and many state SLP conventions.
  • Continuing education: Because many speech-language pathologists have limited training and experience in working with people who stutter. The NSA sponsors seminars and workshops throughout the year to help these professionals increase their knowledge about stuttering. The NSA is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) as a Continuing Education (CE) provider. Our local chapters work closely with local universities to acquaint speech pathology students with stuttering, many of our members are guest speakers in speech pathology classes. The NSA also reaches out to physicians, particularly pediatricians, to acquaint them with stuttering and the need for early intervention for preschool children who stutter. Pediatricians
  • Advocacy: The NSA helps people who stutter obtain effective treatment with referrals to specialized speech-language pathologists and advice on choosing a speech therapist. WhoWeHelp Find-a-Specialist1.htm We also provide legal rights information to parents and families regarding school-based therapy. Back to School Advice Because people who stutter often face workplace discrimination, the NSA provides information for employers and career tips for people who stutter. Speech professionals affiliated with the NSA also have provided expert testimony in employment discrimination court cases.

Research

  • The NSA encourages research on stuttering and collaborates with scientists who use our members as study subjects. Our research committee screens research projects to ensure the safety of our members. researchers We also conduct our own consumer-based research on the experience of people who stutter. Top researchers present their findings at our national conference and the NSA sponsors an applied research symposium for speech professionals. We also have established a fund for donations to research.