The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research is changing the world for people who stutter. We hope you will join us in helping more children, teens, and adults who stutter to “Dream. Speak. Live.” by:
- Making a contribution. A gift of any size makes a difference because when our whole community comes together, the collective impact is significant. Your support will help us educate more students, generate more new knowledge about stuttering, and provide life-changing therapy at no cost to more children, teens, and adults who stutter across every state, country, and continent.
- Sharing a video or written message of “What I Wish People Knew About Stuttering” on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and tagging @utstuttering. Stuttering is neurophysiological, not psychological, but people often assume stuttering is the result of being nervous, anxious, or shy. This widespread misunderstanding about why people stutter leads many children, teens, and adults to experience bullying, teasing, social rejection, and discrimination. “What I wish people knew about stuttering” is a signature part of our program wherein our diverse participants of all ages share their unique messages with the world. Join our efforts to educate the public and empower the stuttering community worldwide, by sharing your own message. Sample post below!
#WhatIWish people knew about stuttering is _____________. @utstuttering
- Sending an email to your family and friends sharing our “40 for Forty” page so that they can learn more about stuttering and have the opportunity to support a mission that is important to you. You may be surprised to learn that you personally know several people who misunderstand why people stutter. Their lack of knowledge contributes to the stigma that children, teens, and adults who stutter experience every day. Even reaching out to one person in your personal network could make a meaningful difference in the lives of countless persons who stutter.
Why we need your support
For many persons who stutter, the only hope for an improved quality of life is treatment, but there are significant roadblocks to those who seek help. Our research has found that less than 1 percent of practicing clinicians feel competent to serve people who stutter. There are also a distressing number of costly and ineffective treatments that exploit the vulnerabilities of stuttering by making false promises for people to become stutter-free. And, in the rare circumstances where quality care can be secured, most insurance companies do not cover the cost of treatment, forcing many to forgo therapy.
Your support will help us to change the world for people who stutter by 1) fostering a global pipeline of speech-language pathologists and researchers who specialize in stuttering through our extensive training of undergraduate students, graduate students, and practicing clinicians; 2) generating new knowledge about the complex nature of stuttering and best practices for treatment; and 3) providing access to quality care at no cost to children, teens, and adults around the world who stutter.
With our flagship at UT Austin, the Blank Center is steadily growing to include satellite locations in Atlanta and throughout the country. We offer daily therapy for persons who stutter of all ages, as well as an annual intensive therapy program for children, Camp Dream. Speak. Live., which has been held in Ireland and Belgium and will be launched in more countries around the world, including The Netherlands, Portugal, Mexico, Nigeria, Georgia, Malta, Greece, and Israel, in the years to come. Unlike other programs where the focus is on fluency, our treatment teaches participants to speak confidently, communicate effectively, and advocate meaningfully so that stuttering never stops them from living their lives to the fullest.
About the Blank Center
The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research was established in October 2020 and is comprised of the Michael and Tami Lang Stuttering Institute, the Dealey Family Foundation Stuttering Clinic, and Dr. Jennifer and Emanuel Bodner Developmental Stuttering Laboratory, with the three branches focusing on education, treatment, and research, respectively. The Center builds on the innovative and visionary leadership and the clinical and research efforts of Dr. Courtney Byrd who began building a stuttering program at UT in 2003 as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow. To date, Dr. Byrd and her team have mentored over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles, and provided therapy services at no cost to over 2,000 children, teenagers, and adults, and their families.
