American Institute for Stuttering

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

Register now for AIS Career Panel: Teachers Who Stutter 📚🗓️ March 16, 2026 🕖 7 pm EST 💻 OnlineSign up by visiting the li...
03/04/2026

Register now for AIS Career Panel: Teachers Who Stutter 📚
🗓️ March 16, 2026 🕖 7 pm EST 💻 Online
Sign up by visiting the link: 🌐 www.stutteringtreatment.org/events/career-panel-teachers-who-stutter

If you stutter and are somewhere on the road to becoming a teacher, from early dreams to early career - this workshop is for you! Join successful educators who stutter as they share their stories of stuttering in the classroom. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and learn from the outstanding professionals who will be joining us. This event is free and open to the public. ✨

Meet the Panel:

Pauline Benner 🍎
Pauline Benner is the Music Director at an elementary and middle school in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She directs the musical program, organizes concerts, and teaches preschool music, K-3 general music, 4th-8th grade choir, band, handbells, and Student Praise Band. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in music performance from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music and is a graduate of PFW’s Transition to Teaching program in Special Education.

Dr. Andria Quintero 🩺
Driven by a deep belief that every child deserves to be seen, challenged, and supported, Dr. Andria R. Quintero has dedicated nearly three decades to strengthening teaching and learning in independent schools. With 28 years in education, including 13 years in the classroom and 15 years in leadership, she brings both practitioner wisdom and systems-level insight to her work.

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🖍️ Register for our upcoming events this March at www.stutteringtreatment.org/eventsMindfulness/Intention-Setting Worksh...
03/02/2026

🖍️ Register for our upcoming events this March at www.stutteringtreatment.org/events

Mindfulness/Intention-Setting Workshop 🧠
🗓️ March 7, 2026 🕙 10 am - 5 pm EST 📍 AIS New York City

Adult Tuesday Night Group 💻
🗓️ March 10, 2026 🕖 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm EST 💻 Online

Dungeons and Dragons 🎲🐲
🗓️ March 10, 2026 🕖 7 pm 💻 Online

Career Panel: Teachers Who Stutter 🍎
🗓️ March 16, 2026 🕖 7 pm EST 💻 Online
⭐ Free Event (Open to the Public)

NYC In-Person Activity Group Cheese Tasting 🧀
🗓️ March 19, 2026 🕡 6:30 pm - 8 pm EST 📍 New York City

02/27/2026

"We know when we bring people together who stutter, magic happens, and people learn from each other. We also try to bring people together socially to do things that don't have to do with stuttering. Many of them just have to do more with community and just bringing people together." 🌟

American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) Director, Heather Grossman, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, shares important information about stuttering and the holistic therapy approach for people who stutter at AIS. 💙

Follow AIS on Facebook at facebook.com/StutteringTreatment, Instagram , and X 📱

▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zJ5ttn8JGM&t=45s

📝 Some general guidelines to help children who stutter communicate effectively:‍1️⃣ Listen patiently and maintain normal...
02/25/2026

📝 Some general guidelines to help children who stutter communicate effectively:

‍1️⃣ Listen patiently and maintain normal eye contact - Convey that you are listening intently and try to keep eye contact even if the child looks away.

2️⃣ Do not finish their sentences - Allow children to complete what they want to say, even when it seems like it is taking a long time. Do not guess at what you think they are saying. Reflect back what you have heard so they know that you have understood them; then, give them an opportunity to repair the message if necessary.‍

3️⃣ Do not rush children to finish. - Time pressure is a problem for many children who stutter. When children feel a need to speak quickly, tension can build up in their speech muscles, thereby causing increased stuttering.

4️⃣ ‍Do not give simplistic advice - Simple suggestions such as “Slow down,” “Take a deep breath,” “Start over,” and “Think about what you are going to say,” may be well-meaning and seemingly helpful for children who stutter. Unfortunately, these suggestions can put unnecessary pressure on them and actually make it harder to speak. ‍

5️⃣ Do not praise fluency, but rather praise content - When we praise a child for being fluent, we are sending the message that we prefer fluent speech, thereby suggesting it is better than stuttering. Instead, respond positively to what the child is saying, not how they are saying it.

Visit our blog to read more ➡️ www.stutteringtreatment.org/blog/when-a-student-stutters-advice-for-teachers

Some Basic Facts About Stuttering 💡There are many myths surrounding stuttering. Stuttering is a complex disorder that de...
02/23/2026

Some Basic Facts About Stuttering 💡
There are many myths surrounding stuttering. Stuttering is a complex disorder that defies simplistic definitions and explanations. Here are some facts that we know:

🔵 Stuttering is not linked to intelligence or emotional disturbance.
🔴 Stuttering is a genetically determined disorder that is neurologic in origin.
🟠 Stuttering occurs in roughly 1% of the adult population and around 5-7% percent of young children.
🟡 There are no “quick fixes” for stuttering
🟣 Even with early intervention, approximately 20% of children who stutter will continue to stutter into adulthood.

Checkout our blog for more details: ➡️ www.stutteringtreatment.org/blog/when-a-student-stutters-advice-for-teachers

Great questions and good conversations at SHAA - thank you Alabama!
02/20/2026

Great questions and good conversations at SHAA - thank you Alabama!

AIS Clients Share 💬🔦 Career Spotlight: Teaching and Stuttering 👩🏻‍🏫Pauline Benner is a teacher, musical director, and pr...
02/20/2026

AIS Clients Share 💬
🔦 Career Spotlight: Teaching and Stuttering 👩🏻‍🏫

Pauline Benner is a teacher, musical director, and professional musician living in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 📚🎶 She spoke with AIS about her experiences teaching with a stutter, including how she talks to her students about stuttering, and how she manages classroom interruptions.

Swipe 👉🏻 or visit our blog to read her story: www.stutteringtreatment.org/blog/career-spotlight-teaching-and-stuttering

Join our upcoming event for teachers! Sign up by visiting the link:
🌐 https://www.stutteringtreatment.org/events/career-panel-teachers-who-stutter

02/18/2026

"Speech therapy at AIS taught me to redefine stuttering, which in turn redefines me. I learned to rewire my self-destructive instincts to hate and hide my stutter. I learned to embrace stuttering as part of who I am and to create an environment where I know it's okay to stutter. 👌

I learned that what I have to say is too important to let anything stop me. I am who I am today, not in spite of stuttering, but thanks to stuttering. 😊 Stuttering is actually the best thing that's ever happened to me.

I want to tell people who stutter what I've learned at AIS over the last six years. Every word is a test to become stronger than you ever thought you could be. Every word is an opportunity to define who you are." - Benjamin 💬

▶️ Watch Benjamin's full speech during the 13th Annual AIS Gala on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJBNJLIPXX4
🔔 Subscribe and click the notification bell for more videos.

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 the universally affordable therapy at AIS, visit stutteringtreatment.org. Follow AIS on Facebook at facebook.com/StutteringTreatment, Instagram , and X .

✨ Save the date for our 20th Annual Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Gala ✨🗓️ September 16, 2026 🕡 6:30 pm 📍New York City📩...
02/16/2026

✨ Save the date for our 20th Annual Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Gala ✨
🗓️ September 16, 2026 🕡 6:30 pm 📍New York City

📩 RSVP on our website: 🌐 www.stutteringtreatment.org/galas/20th-annual-ais-gala

Board member Emily Blunt will host this special evening honoring Steven Tananbaum, Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer at GoldenTree Asset Management. 🎤

Members of our staff and client community will share insights into stuttering and the life-changing impact of AIS’s therapy. 💖

It will be an evening to remember! 🌟🌃

02/14/2026

This Valentine’s Day, remember—love listens. ❤️🧏🏻‍♀️
Here’s to kindness, patience, and the power of listening with love.

Sign up now for Grand Rounds for SLPs Navigating Stuttering 📣📝🗓️ February 25, 2026 🕖 7:00 - 8:30 pm ESTVisit the link to...
02/13/2026

Sign up now for Grand Rounds for SLPs Navigating Stuttering 📣📝
🗓️ February 25, 2026 🕖 7:00 - 8:30 pm EST
Visit the link to register ➡️: www.stutteringtreatment.org/events/grand-rounds-for-slps-navigating-stuttering-february-2026

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. 🌟

You can come prepared with a case that you'd like to gain perspective on from the facilitator/group. 💬 We hope to cover as many real-time cases as possible, and we will work within the time we have allotted.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, this event is free and open to all interested SLPs, clinical fellows, and students. 🩵 This event will be educational in nature, but will not provide CEUs.

02/11/2026

"As I've spent more time at AIS, my confidence has gone up, and I have done more than I ever thought I would.
I used to be scared to talk in front of my class, but since coming to AIS, it has been much easier." - Molly 💬

Molly speaks about her experiences with stuttering and with therapy. 🎙️

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

▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories about people who stutter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icacKwCETuY

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

Telephone

+12126336400

Website

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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.”