Other ISAD2002 information and events are available here.

Welcome to the fifth!! International Online Conference on Stuttering, chaired by Judith Kuster, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Online conferences have been an integral part of International Stuttering Awareness Day which began in 1998. ISAD is organized by Michael Sugarman, Oakland, California, and recognizes the growing alliance between speech-language professionals and consumers, who are learning from each other and working together to share, give support, and educate one another and the general public on the impact that stuttering has on individuals' lives.

This year's conference focuses on general issues about stuttering. It is designed for people who stutter, their families and employers, the professionals who work with them, students in training and their instructors. Thank you for your participation. Your comments about the conference are also welcome.

Beginning October 1 there are 5 panels and 30 invited papers linked below for you to read at your leisure. There is also a section - "The Professor is In" - where you can ask questions of several professionals. The contributions in this conference reflect professional and consumer interests about stuttering and are presented by over 60 individuals representing 14 different countries on 6 different continents (with one who has been to Antarctica as well!). Each paper also has a threaded discussion page for your comments and questions. By October 22, 2002, International Stuttering Awareness Day, the authors of the papers will respond as they wish. Feel free to post your questions/comments at any time and check back on International Stuttering Awareness Day for any response from the author. Contributors to the conference are solely responsible for the information they provide. The conference organizer and Minnesota State University cannot be responsible for nor can we attest to the accuracy or efficacy of the information others provide.

Instructions — please read! The papers are linked to the button to the left and are also hyperlinked. After you have opened the paper, the link will turn green to remind you that you've already opened that paper. The questions/comments page may be accessed at the top or bottom of each paper, or from the link after the title of the paper in the index.

Remember that there are many people writing and attending this conference for whom English is not their first language. The Google Translation Service may help those who don't read English well to understand some of these papers. It will not be a perfect translation, but you should be able to get the idea.

Please ask questions that are relevant to the papers and refrain from developing a personal topic. It is expected that participants will remain cordial. The coordinator of the conference retains the right to delete posts considered inappropriate.

Several university professors have agreed to serve as a panel to answer appropriately-posed questions about stuttering. This is primarily designed for parents and people who stutter to learn from the "experts," and is not for lengthy discussion or for students assigned to "post something to the online conference."

Office Hours: The Professor Is In, featuring Steve Hood, Judy Kuster, Dick Mallard, Walt Manning, Larry Molt, Bob Quesal, Nan Ratner, Peter Ramig, Lynne Shields, Ken St. Louis, John Tetnowski, Dale Williams, and Scott Yaruss.