Awareness to Action: How SLTs Can Challenge the Stigma of Stuttering

Webinar Description: Stutterers have long been subjected to stigma—from dehumanizing media portrayals, to social and vocational discrimination, to expectations that they make their speech sound more fluent. Stigma is often internalized by people who stutter, which can make our work as SLTs more complex as we support our clients on their journey of self-growth. In this webinar, we will discuss how SLTs can support their clients’ evolution toward a more empowered self, as well as advocating for broader societal change that increases accessibility and inclusion of people who stutter. 

Speaker: Naomi H. Rodgers, PhD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor at the University Iowa. She directs the Iowa Stuttering Lab where her research team examines the cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of stuttering and communication differences more broadly. She teaches courses in stuttering, counselling, and clinical methods. Her work is inspired by her experiences as a person who stutters, clinician, and advocate in the stuttering support community.