International Stuttering Awareness Day (October 22) began in 1998, spear-headed by Michael Sugarman, Oakland, California. ISAD 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. Online conferences, organized by Judy Kuster, have been an integral part of International Stuttering Awareness Day since its inception.

For participants who need some basic information about stuttering, please read about Stuttering from the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association.. Additional information is available on the Stuttering Home Page.

This year's conference is designed for people who stutter, their families and employers, the professionals who work with them, students in training and their instructors.

Beginning October 1 there are papers, programs, and power points covering a variety of topics related to fluency and fluency disorders, as well as two sections - "The Professor is In" and "The Researcher 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 65 individuals representing 20 different countries on 6 different continents. Each paper also has a threaded discussion page for your comments and questions. Conference organizer and Minnesota State University cannot be responsible for nor can we attest to the accuracy or efficacy of the information others provide. The authors' papers will be permanently archived on the Stuttering Home Page for you to read at any time.

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. papers/td/8comments/index.html

about the conference are welcome.
Thank you for your participation.

Several university professors have agreed to serve as a panel to answer appropriately-posed questions about stuttering. This is especially designed as a good opportunity for parents of children who stutter, and for children, teens, and for adults who stutter to ask questions of several highly qualified specialists in the area of stuttering. Office Hours: The Professor Is In list of professors here Ask your question here

Several researchers have agreed to serve as a panel to answer appropriately-posed questions about research in fluency and fluency disorders. This is especially designed to make the research understandable, not to evaluate it. It is a good opportunity for students, as well as parents of children who stutter, and for children, teens, and adults who stutter to ask questions about research of several highly qualified researchers in the area of stuttering. Office Hours: The Researcher Is In list of reseachers here Ask your question here

Stuttering Didn't Stop Them!: Famous PWS from Around the World (non-US) , featuring Alan Badmington (Wales), Anita Scharis Blom (Sweden), Christine Badgett-Richards (England), Warren Brown (New Zealand), Marija Cvetkovic (Croatia), Fernando Cuesta Monblona (Spain), Natasja Dahlmann (Sweden, Dobrinka Georgieva (Bulgaria), Andrew Harding (England), Margaret M. Leahy (Ireland), Benny Ravid (Israel), Pedro Rodriquez (Venezuela), Konrad Schaefers (Germany), Tobe Richards (England), GW (England), and Albert Zhang (China). -Discussion-

Collections of "Stories" — how the collections were developed and how they can be used

Transcending Stuttering — The Inside Story by Phil Schneider (New York, USA) -Discussion-
Publications and Videos in which Those Who Stutter Share their Experiences and Successes with Others by Jane Fraser (Tennessee, USA) -Discussion-
PWS Speak for Themselves Online by Judy Kuster (Minnesota, USA) -Discussion-
The Story of Living With Stuttering by Ken St. Louis, West Virginia, USA. -Discussion-

The Why and the How of Voluntary Stuttering by Peter Reitzes (New York, USA) -Discussion- (This paper is also available in Italian translated by Massimiliano Marchiori, ITALY and in Spanish translated by Astrid Fridriksson, South Carolina, USA)

Therapeutic Approaches to Address Emotional Issues in Stuttering by Gary Rentschler (Pennsylvania, USA) -Discussion-

Are You Asking the Right Questions? by John Wade (Kansas, USA) -Discussion-

New Laws for People who Stutter by Dale Williams (Florida, USA) -Discussion-

Two free downloadable pieces of software to assist in diagnosis The following two, freely available programs will assist in counting dysfluencies. One is designed for use with a PC, the other for use with a Palm Pilot. The developers have explained how to download and use the tools and are willing to respond to questions/comments while the conference is open.

Computer Aided Assessment of Cluttering Severity by Klaas Bakker, (Missouri, USA), Florence Myers and Larry Raphael (New York, USA) and Kenneth St. Louis (West Virginia, USA) -Discussion-

The CHOPPER Fluency Meter by Joseph Donaher (Philadelphia, USA) -Discussion-

The developers or these five, freely available PowerPoint programs have explained how they use these programs.

Treating School-Age Children Who Stutter: Objectives and Activities by Craig Coleman and Rebecca Roccon (Pennsylvania, USA) and Amy Zerhusen (Ohio, USA) -Discussion-

Some Things Everyone Should Know About Stuttering by Diane Games (Ohio, USA) -Discussion-

So you've been asked to do a presentation to your fellow SLPs about stuttering......Now what? by Lynne Shields (Missouri, USA) -Discussion-

Stuttering: Fact or Fiction by Irv Wollman and Katrina Zeit Ohio, USA -Discussion-

about the conference are welcome.
Thank you for your participation.

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Flags courtesy of ITA's Flags of All Countries used with permission.

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webweaver Judith Kuster
last updated October 1, 2005