The following information provides an overview of the Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), a leader in stuttering research and treatment innovation.

About HCRI

HCRI was founded in Roanoke, Virginia in 1972 by Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D. as a non-profit center dedicated to the investigation and treatment of stuttering. HCRI researcher scientists pioneered the development of objectively defined, behavioral stuttering therapy that has earned the Institute national acclaim as a leader in stuttering research and therapy innovation.

HCRI Stuttering Therapy

HCRI has developed a powerful new generation of stuttering therapy:  Hollins Fluency Program, Advanced Speech Reconstruction for Stuttering that incorporates new scientific learning and innovative behavioral, electronic and computer technologies that significantly improve the ease of learning and retaining fluent speech.  HCRI offers 17 therapy programs annually, each of which lasts 12 days, where participants learn how to replace faulty muscle contractions that cause stuttering with new muscle behaviors that generate fluent speech.

Who Attends HCRI Therapy?

More than 5,500 people who stutter, ranging in age from 10 to 73, from across the U.S. and 23 other countries have come to HCRI to benefit from the Institute’s scientifically based treatment methods that have changed the course of their lives.  Before coming to HCRI, many were denied countless educational, career and social opportunities because of their stuttering and most had tried other treatment programs without long-term success.

HCRI Treatment Results

• 93% of program participants acquire fluency in 12-days.
• 98% of program participants say they would recommend HCRI to others.

HCRI Staff

The HCRI team consists of expert clinicians, researchers and support personnel who specialize in stuttering. HCRI clinicians hold advanced credentials and treat more people who stutter in one year than most speech therapists treat during a lifetime.

HCRI Recognition

• The Virginia General Assembly passed a house joint resolution in 2007 commending HCRI for its pioneering research and therapy in the field of stuttering.
• HCRI’s stuttering therapy was the recipient of the first Award for Scientific Merit by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
• Media coverage includes: New York Times, Nightline, 20/20, Newsweek, People, Parade, Sports Illustrated, Today, CBS Morning News, and Good Morning America.
• Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed Medical Hospital have chosen HCRI as their sole provider for stuttering patients.

HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive in Roanoke, Virginia.  Contact HCRI by calling 540-265-5650 or sending at email to admin@stuttering.org.