Non-profit helps stutterers find their voice

Stuttering is a speech disorder, where frequent and significant interruptions break up the normal flow of speech.  People with a stutter know what they want to say, but have difficulty saying it. 

Common among young children, stuttering can persist into adulthood, leading to self-esteem issues as people with stutters attempt to hide it.

However, the non-profit group the American Institute for Stuttering aims to provide needed speech therapy for people of all ages who stutter using a physical and mental approach to allow them to feel comfortable and be good at stuttering.

“Very often, the desire to not stutter creates an emotional state that makes it impossible to access the tool,” said Dr. Heather Grossman, Director of the AIS. “We find that in accepting it, people can find that they really can change the way they speak and how they feel about themselves as communicators.”

Since its foundation in 1998, the AIS has helped many people with their stuttering, and now offers services in New York City, Atlanta and online.