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American Institute for Stuttering

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American Institute for Stuttering

A non-profit org providing universally affordable, specialized speech therapy to people who stutter.

11/19/2025

🎙️ AIS 12-year-old client contributed to a local podcast episode to talk about his experience with stuttering. He was kind enough to share the transcript with us. Please enjoy!

💬 Stuttering By Tyler👦

"When I hear someone say, 'Haha, you stutter,' or 'Just don’t stutter', my body sinks down and I feel embarrassed. Since I was born, I have stuttered. Stuttering has been something that I have always had, and when I was very young, it wasn’t really an issue. So many people think that I can just stop stuttering, but you really can’t. I can try and slow down, but I can’t not stutter. A lot of my friends say to me, “Don’t stutter” or “slow down,” and it really doesn't help at all.

According to the Stuttering Foundation, “More than 70 million people worldwide stutter, which is about 1% of the population. In the United States, that's over 3 million Americans who stutter.” This impacts me because it shows that I am not the only one who stutters and that it is actually very common.

In this past year, I have been working with a speech therapist who has helped me get over the fear of messing up by stuttering and caring about what others think about my stutter. She has worked with me by calling stores and restaurants and telling them that I stutter and then ordering something. This has been very helpful, and I have given up this fear of messing up by stuttering.

Now I am not worried about what others think. I speak without worry, and I hope this encourages other stutterers, too. With a perspective, I am Tyler S."

🌐 https://www.stutteringtreatment.org/blog/tyler-speaks-out-about-stuttering

11/17/2025

People still ask us about Steve Harvey's comments on stuttering, which date back to 2018. This evergreen post explains why it's not as simple as he made it seem!

📺 Steve Harvey’s show featured a young woman who stutters, asking for advice. While Mr. Harvey’s intentions were clearly to be of help to the young woman on the segment, several of his comments are cause for serious concern.

💬 Mr. Harvey claimed that stuttering is “curable” and that there is nothing “physically” wrong.
➡️ We definitely agree with the over-riding sentiment that “there is nothing wrong” with people who stutter, but we challenge the dismissive notion that stuttering is purely psychological. While an individual’s feelings, attitudes, and experiences most definitely contribute to the multifactorial condition that is stuttering, research confirms that there is a definite neurological, genetic link. Not all individuals are able, as Mr. Harvey suggests, to be “cured."

💬 He claimed that therapy for stuttering is largely unhelpful, and speech-language pathologists do not truly understand stuttering since they do not stutter themselves.
➡️ We do acknowledge the unfortunate fact that a large majority of speech therapists are not adequately trained to work with people who stutter, and that it is not uncommon for such therapists to give potentially damaging advice, such as trying to avoid feared words. However, there is, in fact, a growing number of therapists who dedicate their careers specifically toward helping people who stutter, many of whom stutter themselves.

💬 He instructed the young woman on his show to silently and slowly rehearse answers to questions three times before verbalizing her answers as a way to not stutter.
➡️ A strategy such as this could actually backfire for many people, diminishing the spontaneity of their communication and inadvertently increasing struggle and tension. Mr. Harvey further instructs the young woman to avoid eye contact while speaking, erroneously claiming that eye contact triggers stuttering.

💬 Mr. Harvey spoke at length about the role that negative anticipation plays in stuttering, explaining that stuttering is caused purely by the very anticipation of a stuttered word.
➡️ We know as therapists that anticipation of stuttering contributes greatly to its occurrence and persistence, but the full clinical picture of what causes and triggers stuttering in an individual is much more complex. While targeting anticipation of the stuttering moment may be beneficial for some people who stutter, it cannot be treated as a “cure-all” for stuttering as a whole. It is vital that we as therapists continue to dispel myths about stuttering and provide accurate, current information, recognizing that all individuals who stutter are unique and that there is still a great deal we do not know.

🌐 https://www.stutteringtreatment.org/blog/response-to-steve-harveys-comments-about-stuttering

11/14/2025

Learn how the AIS community has impacted our clients on their journey with stuttering. ✨

The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) provides specialized, universally affordable stuttering therapy and support for children and adults who stutter. We offer therapy in our offices in New York City and Atlanta, as well as Online. 🏙️💻

💡 To learn more about therapy at AIS, visit stutteringtreatment.org.

▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos: youtube.com/

11/12/2025

The AIS Financial Assistance application requires financial information and a personal statement. Assistance is awarded on a case-by-case basis; many who believe that they would not qualify are pleasantly surprised to receive financial assistance.

We invite you to apply by filling out this short form: www.tfaforms.com/4927347
We will send you an email with the steps to complete the financial assistance application.

To learn more, visit 🌐 www.stutteringtreatment.org/financial-assistance or click the link in our bio. 🔗

11/10/2025

Alcohol & You: A Seminar for People Who Stutter with Nora A. O’Connor, LSCW
🌐 Visit the link to register: www.stutteringtreatment.org/events/alcohol-you-a-seminar-for-people-who-stutter

📆 November 20, 2025
🕢 7:30 PM EST
💻 Online | Free and open to the public

This seminar explores the complex relationship between stuttering, alcohol use, and emotional well-being. Many people who stutter may turn to alcohol in social situations as a way to ease anxiety, numb shame, or feel more fluent—but the short-term relief often comes with long-term consequences. Together with Nora A. O’Connor, LSCW, we’ll discuss healthier coping strategies, share experiences in a supportive environment, and build awareness about how alcohol can affect both speech and mental health. We will also touch on other substances and vices, such as ma*****na and gambling, that can play a similar role in coping.

11/07/2025

Why attend a stuttering group? 🌟 Our clients share what they find helpful.

The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) provides specialized, universally affordable stuttering therapy and support for children and adults who stutter. 💡 We offer therapy in our offices in New York City and Atlanta, as well as Online. 🏙️

To learn more about therapy at AIS, visit stutteringtreatment.org. 👉 Follow AIS on Facebook at facebook.com/StutteringTreatment, Instagram , X (Twitter) , and Pinterest . 📱

▶️ Visit our YouTube page for more videos: Youtube.com/

11/05/2025

🌟 At AIS, we often talk about the value of self-advertising our stuttering. 📢 Self-advertising has many benefits, including decreasing the fear of stuttering, educating our listeners, and creating a more 'stutter-friendly' zone. Leah Graham, one of AIS's clients, self-advertised her stutter in her workplace. She did this by giving a presentation about stuttering in front of all of her colleagues. Gutsy, we know! Here is what the experience was like for her. 🌟

💬 Tell us about yourself and why you decided to do the presentation:
My name is Leah Graham. I am from Mount Holly, NC, but currently live in Charlotte, NC. I am a person who stutters, and I work in the Human Services field as a Social Worker in Childcare Subsidy. I am also the Charlotte Adult Chapter Leader for the National Stuttering Association. I really wanted to do something special for National Stuttering Awareness Week. I posted a rejection letter to Facebook from a company that stated the reason they did not hire me was because the position required “talking on the phone”. I remember posting, “I can talk on the phone, I can talk on the phone, I can talk on the damn phone”. In contrast, this year, I decided to do a presentation to my current company on stuttering and stuttering in the workplace. Initially, it was supposed to be in person, but COVID-19 had other plans.

💻 How did you set up the presentation and get everyone to commit and attend?
To set up the presentation, I sent a letter to my supervisor, who was totally on board. She even suggested I send an invitation to former President Joe Biden (that is how awesome she is). I invited my entire department to a Zoom meeting. My wife (the queen of presentations) helped me give my presentation some focus, and after a run, decided it needed more vulnerability (like, isn’t stuttering vulnerable enough?!). Nevertheless, she was right. Offering a greater sense of vulnerability to my presentation really helped me connect with the audience and vice versa.

🔁 Share with us the main ideas of the presentation, and how it felt to give the presentation:
We tackled myths about stuttering through a really interactive True/False segment. A co-worker even divulged that she stutters, too! We talked about employability for people who stutter and the interpersonal skills people who stutter possess. Everyone was engaged. I remember feeling like something was in my eyes; others may have called it tears, but whatever. I was in a space of complete gratitude and affirmation. I got some excellent and really profound feedback from my team and my superiors.

🌐 www.stutteringtreatment.org/blog/what-its-like-to-give-a-presentation-about-stuttering-in-the-workplace

11/03/2025

🧣 AIS NOVEMBER EVENTS 🍂

🏵️ Adult Tuesday Night Group
November 11, 2025 | Tuesday
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm EST | Online
Held on the second Tuesday of every month, this free therapy offering is open to all past and present AIS clients who wish to reinforce the principles and strategies for communicating freely, stuttering confidently, and reducing avoidance.

🍄 Grand Rounds for SLPs Navigating Stuttering
November 13, 2025 | Thursday
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EST | Online
Join this grand rounds-style workshop for speech-language pathologists to increase your knowledge of best practices in stuttering therapy and build your confidence and your skills as a clinician working with people who stutter.

🍾 Alcohol & You: A Seminar for People Who Stutter
November 20, 2025 | Thursday
7:30 pm EST | Online
This seminar explores the complex relationship between stuttering, alcohol use, and emotional well-being. Many people who stutter may turn to alcohol in social situations as a way to ease anxiety, numb shame, or feel more fluent—but the short-term relief often comes with long-term consequences. Together with Nora A. O’Connor, LSCW, we’ll discuss healthier coping strategies, share experiences in a supportive environment, and build awareness about how alcohol can affect both speech and mental health. We will also touch on other substances and vices, such as ma*****na and gambling, that can play a similar role in coping.

10/31/2025

At AIS, we help people face fears and find confidence—even without a spooky Halloween costume. Happy Halloween from our supportive community to yours! 👻🎃

10/29/2025

AIS ran a one-day in-person workshop for adults on Saturday, October 4th. 💡 We had a waiting list for this event as we limit enrollment to eight participants. So we're doing another one on November 8 - if you are a current or past client, contact us to enroll! 📧📞

Our focus was to learn and practice grounding techniques to regulate the mind and body during challenging speaking situations. 📢

☀️ In the morning, we explored mindfulness and grounding techniques to help clients connect with the body, regulate anxiety, and build a more compassionate relationship with speaking. We explored approaching communication with less physical tension and more ease—through both “bottom-up” (targeting physical and emotional regulation through the body) and “top-down” (working with thoughts and core beliefs) practices. ✨

In the afternoon, we focused on intention-setting and real-world communication goals. 🎯 Clients created a plan with individualized intentions for exposure to speaking situations and completed “action assignments” such as asking a stranger for directions alongside others who stutter who were there for support. 📝

We shared lunch together and had throughout the day for sharing, reflection, and asking questions. 😊 Visit our stutteringtreatment.org/events for upcoming workshops, and let us know if you have an interest in attending our next weekend workshop.

10/27/2025

Today we're talking about the benefits of avoidance. Yes, the benefits! 🐰🐦

Avoidance reduction is hard. Many people who stutter have had years of practice avoiding feared words and situations. And sometimes, no matter how much someone wants to dive headfirst into exposure challenges, they get stuck. Both therapist and client become confused: it seems clear that avoidance reduction is the way to go, so why isn’t it happening?

As a speech therapist, you can talk up the reasons for avoidance reduction until you’re blue in the face. But we all know there’s nothing less convincing than someone else telling you what’s good for you. Focusing only on the reasons to reduce avoidance ignores a huge piece of the puzzle: why the person is avoiding in the first place.

Avoidance has real advantages: less risk, less embarrassment, less vulnerability. It’s only once those upsides are made clear that we can begin to genuinely weigh the costs of avoiding against the costs of taking risks.

How to do it:
Ask your client what benefits they get from avoidance. What needs are being met? What discomforts are being postponed or eliminated? Work with them to make a list of pros and cons - and be open and honest that the pros of avoiding are very real! Remember that your goal is not to convince your client of anything.

This process is about determining the real costs and benefits of moving forward. Once we have a full inventory of the client's avoidances, we can help them establish a hierarchy for addressing those they feel most committed to changing first off.

🌐 www.stutteringtreatment.org/blog/therapy-thursday-avoidance-is-not-a-bad-word

10/24/2025

🩵 Rahima attended a therapy program at the American Institute for Stuttering. In her speech, she briefly speaks about those experiences and then shares a spoken word poem about stuttering, titled "Did You Forget Your Name?" 💬 Rahima has worked in consulting and for the Clinton Foundation and at Harvard Business School. 🌟

🎥 Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dIxjhYcGnU
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos. ▶️

Address

27 W 20th Street, Ste 1203
New York, NY
10011

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 6pm
Friday	10am - 6pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

+12126336400

Website

https://www.stutteringtreatment.org/

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Our Story

AIS was founded in 1998 by Catherine Otto Montgomery, a talented and much-loved speech-language-pathologist who worked with people who stutter for over 30 years. Aware of the great need for universally affordable treatment options, specialized professional training, and increased public education about stuttering, Catherine transformed her private practice into a non-profit center dedicated to meeting these needs.

As a therapist, Catherine promoted the use of integrated treatment protocols that address both the overt symptoms of stuttering as well as the underlying emotional and cognitive components. She developed an intensive therapy program that addressed stuttering holistically, recognizing the complex nature of the disorder.

Early on, AIS became a powerful voice in Washington, calling for an increase in government support for stuttering research. AIS was instrumental in successfully persuading Congress to introduce groundbreaking legislation, and a State of the Science Conference on Stuttering followed. As a result, the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders launched targeted research initiative on stuttering.

AIS remains dedicated to carrying on the legacy of its founder, striving everyday to help people who stutter to “Speak Freely, and Live Fearlessly.”