Tag: stuttering

For Stuttering Therapy Clients, HCRI is a Partner in Fluency for Life

At Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), we help individuals who stutter achieve and maintain fluent speech for a lifetime. Our involvement with clients extends long after their participation in our 12-day stuttering therapy program. In fact, we serve as a partner in fluency for life.

On the last day of therapy, clients receive an extensive package of fluency-practice tools and support that help habituate speech techniques learned during HCRI’s treatment program. HCRI “alumni” are encouraged to practice their newly acquired fluency skills once they return home. We also encourage them to check in regularly after therapy and reach out whenever they need guidance from our clinicians.

HCRI is your partner in fluency for lifeFor many participants, HCRI stuttering therapy is a one-time experience where fluent speech has replaced stuttering – and additional treatment is not necessary. Research demonstrates that 93 percent of clients achieve fluency by the end of their 12-day therapy program. In addition, 75 percent maintain fluent speech when evaluated two years after treatment.

Some alumni may request additional assistance if they find their fluency has gotten off track after a period of time. This is why the institute hosts alumni refresher programs that are held on-site at HCRI and remotely via the web. Along with ongoing contact with HCRI clinicians, these refreshers have proven to be beneficial for clients.

For example, an alumna who attended HCRI stuttering therapy nearly 25 years ago sent the following note after she was tasked with giving a challenging presentation at work. Before her presentation, she engaged in a remote Alumni Refresher program with one of HCRI’s clinicians. The therapy was conducted using FaceTime and a computer. It included eight one-hour sessions, which were scheduled twice per week.

“I’m so proud to share a recent experience with you. As you know, I serve as a faculty member and researcher in higher education and regularly teach online and present at conferences. But the circumstances at the conference last week were more challenging than usual.

I presented to an audience of approximately 100 attendees in person. The session was also being professionally filmed for later viewing, and live streamed to virtual attendees. Knowing that I was being filmed, plus the bright camera lights in my eyes, created additional pressure. But I did it! I fought the urge to rely on spontaneous fluency. I focused on full breath and amplitude contour [that I learned at HCRI] and felt confident in my ability to produce fluent speech.

Again, I speak at conferences all the time, but not typically under these conditions. This scenario would’ve made any speaker nervous. Afterward, I had a moment of reflection and appreciation that I am a stutterer and I just did something pretty amazing.

…Thank you for your help and continued support. I’ll check in again next week.”

In addition to remote refresher programs for alumni, HCRI provides on-site, five-day Alumni Refreshers, two-day Target Tune-Ups, Alumni Retreats, hourly remote therapy sessions, and a variety of other offerings. For more details on these and other alumni-support services, click on the link below.

Learn more about HCRI’s post-therapy resources >>

About HCRI

HCRI was founded by Ronald L Webster, Ph.D. in 1972 to investigate stuttering through scientific discovery and treatment innovation. Virginia-based HCRI, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, has become an international leader in stuttering research and the development of scientifically derived therapy approaches.

More than 6,500 people from across the U.S. and 50 countries have come to HCRI to achieve fluency. Clients come from all walks of life and include teachers, business professionals, athletes, broadcasters, engineers, musicians, students, doctors, military personnel, police officers, actors, a Supreme Court nominee, and even royalty.

HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive, Roanoke, Va. 24019. For more information, visit www.stuttering.org or contact HCRI at (540) 265-5650.

 

 

Have You Ever Thought About Your “O.Q?”

Introduction

Individuals who stutter face daily communication challenges and barriers that others who are fluent cannot relate to or even comprehend. For the stutterer, the speech condition is unpredictable and can have detrimental effects on job opportunities, social interactions and educational attainment.

Dr. Ron Webster
HCRI President Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D. discusses the O.Q. for persons who stutter.

Many who stutter have tried traditional speech therapies with minimal or fleeting fluency outcomes. This propels the ongoing frustration inherent to the condition and the barriers it produces.

In this article, stuttering expert Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D., president of Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), shares a thought-provoking way to view stuttering and its effect on an individual’s life.

In addition, he discusses why people who stutter should consider HCRI’s behavioral-therapy approach that teaches life-long skills to control stuttering and speak fluently.

Considering Your O.Q.

Have you ever thought about your O.Q?  Well, you ask, what is an O.Q?

OQYour O.Q. is your life Opportunity Quotient. We all have opportunities come along in our lives. Some of us are in a position to be better at generating, recognizing and taking advantage of those opportunities than others.

If you stutter, the odds are that you have a lower O.Q. than you would if you did not stutter. Virtually everyone who stutters at more than a mild level will experience shrinkage in his or her O.Q.

The reason is simple. Many businesses, educational situations and social environments are not accepting of the communication challenges of persons who stutter. The result is an automatic and persistence of O.Q. shrinkage.

Like it or not, if you stutter you have probably experienced O.Q. restrictions as a result of your disfluent speech.

Here at HCRI we specialize in treating individuals who stutter with proprietary procedures we have developed that generate robust, fluent speech in our clients. In fact, our research shows that by end of our intensive 12-day program, 93% of our clients have become fluent speakers. And, at two years post-therapy, 75% retain fluent speech.

These results have been repeated at HCRI time and time again with more than 6,500 individuals. Note that number. It represents real people who made the commitment to attend therapy at HCRI in Roanoke, Virginia. These are individuals who experienced genuine improvements in their speech fluency and in their O.Q.s.

Take for example Scott Nickell, who is now a business development manager for a leading distribution company. His success depends on his ability to effectively communicate with decisionmakers. As a person who stutters, Scott found his speech hindering when he was young. He couldn’t say certain words and struggled to communicate each day. His education and social life were challenging and his self-confidence compromised. Yet, once he attended HCRI stuttering therapy as a young adult, he acquired the ability to use the skills he learned to generate fluent speech. As a result, Scott was able to pursue his career ambitions with joy and confidence.

Another example is producer and filmmaker Elan Dassani. He participated in HCRI stuttering therapy to succeed in an industry where talk is everything. Yet, when he was younger, his speech was characterized by intermittent blocks, repetitions and prolongations of sounds and syllables, which made it difficult to carry on conversations. To fix his stutter, he originally tried different treatments that ranged from wearing an auditory feedback device to meeting with speech therapists. None produced lasting fluency – until he came to HCRI’s 12-day stuttering therapy.

Each individual has his or her own unique challenges with stuttering. Our research and real-world experience has demonstrated that HCRI stuttering therapy is effective across a range of stuttering severities from mild to severe.

If you are looking for help with your stuttering and want to optimize your O.Q. through fluency, consider HCRI stuttering therapy. To learn more, visit www.stuttering.org or contact us at (540) 265-5650 or info@stuttering.org.

View before-and-after stuttering therapy videos >>

Apply today to attend HCRI stuttering therapy >>

 

Words of Advice from Past HCRI Clients to Incoming Stuttering Therapy Participants

Following are insights provided by stuttering therapy clients who completed their 12-day intensive treatment at Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI – stuttering.org) in Roanoke, Virginia.

HCRI therapy adviceAt the end of their HCRI therapy program, clients were asked to write a few words of advice for individuals who are preparing to come to the national stuttering therapy center. Here’s what they shared.

Advice from Past Clients

“Leave the past behind. We all have a new life in front of us. We all have the ability to move forward. This is going to change your life forever. No one is worth it more than you. Believe in the program and in yourself, this will lead to a lifetime of success.”

“We may not choose to stutter but we choose to be fluent. Realize the choice and invest in yourself.”

“Take these 12 days to disconnect from the rest of your life and focus on the one aspect that has troubled you for so long. It will take 100% of your effort but… you are one step closer to commanding your fluency.”

“We didn’t say it was going to be easy. We said it’s going to be worth it.”

“You have already made the effort to change your life by coming [to HCRI], that right there shows so much in yourself. Don’t give up you can change your life.”

“The journey to fluency may not be easy but there is light at the end of the tunnel. That light is called fluency!”

“Focus on where you are now going, the possibilities ahead of you, not where you have been.”

“This can be a turning point in your life. For me I know it will be because I will practice as much as the clinicians tell me. If you make the same wise choice, you will be limitless.”

“This program works, I know. I was once where you are. I beat stuttering and here’s what it takes: Practice – Patience – Perseverance – Payoff!”

About HCRI Stuttering Therapy

HCRI’s program is a science-based, immersion therapy that teaches individuals  how to control stuttering by replacing faulty muscle movements that give rise to stuttering with new muscle behaviors that generate fluent speech.

For 12 days, therapy participants work in a small group setting and are guided by specially trained clinicians who teach skills that help individuals overcome stuttering and speak fluently. HCRI’s therapy technology is used in the treatment process to help individuals acquire fluency with greater ease and precision. Therapy takes place in the clinical environment, as well as in real-world settings.

By the end of 12 days, research demonstrates that 93 percent of participants achieve fluent speech. Follow-up studies reveal that 70 to 75 percent of clients maintain their fluency skills when evaluated one and two years post therapy.

Watch before-and-after therapy videos >>

To learn more about HCRI’s  stuttering therapy approach, send an email or call us at (540) 265-5650.  

To begin your journey to fluency with HCRI, complete a therapy application.  Then, a member of HCRI’s team will reach out to discuss next steps and schedule your therapy session. 

 

Why HCRI for Stuttering Therapy?

Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D.
Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D.

This article by Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D., president of Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), discusses why individuals who stutter turn to HCRI to treat their speech condition and achieve fluency.

Most of our clients are weary of stuttering when they first reach out to HCRI for help. They are tired of the frustrations, the uncertainties about the impact their stuttering has on others – and for many, the persistent lack of success they have experienced with previous therapies. They are just normal people who sometimes have trouble speaking. And, by the completion of our 12-day stuttering therapy, they became normal people who can speak fluently and spontaneously.

HCRI offers a better than 90% chance that new clients will achieve fluent speech by the end of our 12-day program. And, at one- and two-years post HCRI, 70% and 75% respectively are retaining normal fluency. Just as importantly, they experience normal reactions to everyday speaking situations.

Focus on Therapy Excellence

At our Virginia-based center, we developed and administer our stuttering treatment program called Hollins Fluency System III: High Definition Speech Reconstruction for Stuttering. We have learned that for a person to be successful in learning and locking in the behavioral details that actively generate fluent speech, it takes a close-up and personal form of instruction. It also takes an intensive therapy schedule to accomplish the training goals for our program.

We constantly study our program structure, the instruction sets, the electronic components of our system, and the clinician instructions and interactions with our clients. If we find weaknesses in performance within any component of our system, we isolate it, study it, and make corrections. When we discover opportunities that elevate the therapy experience and outcomes, we make enhancements. Our focus is to continually strengthen our therapy for the benefit of the clients we serve.

Our program is validated by the positive results obtained with literally thousands of persons who stutter. We believe that our therapy offers each person who demonstrates developmental stuttering a solid opportunity to become a fluent speaker. After all, we know from direct experience that most individuals who come to HCRI have the motivation and willingness to learn that make them successful within and beyond our program.

Comprehensive Post-Therapy Support

HCRI provides an excellent, multi-faceted package of post-therapy support for each participant. While most program graduates do not require additional help, some benefit from taking advantage of our offerings. For example, there are clinical contacts offered on an as needed basis. We also offer support group participation for persons who benefit from practicing their fluency skills with each other.

We provide each therapy graduate with FluencyNet, a computer-based speech monitoring system for use on their home computer. FluencyNet helps habituate fluency skills taught during therapy by providing users with real-time measurements of speech utterances and immediate, accurate feedback that guides client practice of correct responses. HCRI’s Voice Monitor app for the iPhone puts a “clinician in your pocket” that can be used by clients anywhere to evaluate and practice their fluency skills.

Unmatched Quality and Sophistication

We are not aware of another treatment for stuttering, anywhere in the world, that operates at the levels demonstrated by HCRI’s program. Our clinicians work each year with more persons who stutter than most clinicians are likely to see in a professional lifetime.

For a direct path to improving both your fluency and the quality of your personal life, HCRI provides a comprehensive and successful treatment for stuttering that is:

(1) Delivered within a fixed time frame;
(2) Provided with a known cost; and,
(3) Presented with a known probability of both short-term and long-term positive results.

We provide a unique, comprehensive system for bringing robust, fluent speech to individuals who stutter. We have extensive data that validates the effectiveness of our treatment for stuttering. We can say, with critical accuracy, that we have learned a few important facts about stuttering – and we have assembled them in a solid manner to help people improve the realization of their personal potential through fluent speech.

HCRI Therapy Impact 

The work we do each and every day is designed to achieve the ultimate objective of improving lives through fluency. A recent client survey revealed the following.

  • 96% said our therapy program was worthwhile to them.
  • 79% said their personal happiness and satisfaction increased post therapy.
  • 69% said they improved their social life and relationships after their HCRI experience.
  • 84% reported increased confidence after participating in HCRI stuttering therapy.
  • 78% said HCRI therapy participation helped enhance their quality of life.

Your Choice, Your Future  

If you believe that you can find a more objective and effective treatment for your stuttering, then we recommend you take it. In fact, we encourage individuals to compare therapy programs side-by-side. If you recognize that HCRI offers an important set of stuttering therapy advantages, we invite you to come to the institute, do the work, and generate a better quality to your life through fluency.

We always welcome inquiries and questions. We talk with persons who stutter every day and encourage you to reach out at (540) 265-5650 or info@stuttering.org.

If you would like to submit an application for our therapy program, please click here: Apply to HCRI.

HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive in Roanoke, Virginia. All therapy is adminstered in Roanoke at our national center.

6 Reasons to Choose HCRI Stuttering Therapy

6 Reasons to Choose HCRIIf you are looking for an effective stuttering therapy where you will acquire lifelong skills to speak confidently and fluently, we invite you to learn more about Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI).

Here are six reasons to choose HCRI’s 12-day stuttering therapy program.

1. UNMATCHED EXPERIENCE
We’ve treated thousands who stutter with our award-winning, science-based therapy. We know precisely what works and what doesn’t when it comes to helping you achieve lasting fluency.

2. PROVEN RESULTS
HCRI therapy has proven, documented fluency outcomes. That means you know your probability of success before therapy: 93% achieve fluent speech in 12 days and 75% retain fluency after two years.

3. WORLD-CLASS CLINICIANS
Our clinicians are the only speech professionals in the world who complete a rigorous, 500-hour training before administering HCRI therapy. That means you benefit from the highest standards of clinical excellence to maximize your fluency results.

4. LIFETIME OF SUPPORT
We are your partner in fluency for life. After your therapy, you benefit from a lifetime of personalized clinical support and practice tools to help you maintain your fluency.

5. REMARKABLE VALUE
At HCRI, you receive 100 hours of therapy for a cost that is about half that of traditional speech therapies. In addition, your path to fluency takes just 12 days.

6. ENHANCED CAREER POTENTIAL
After participating in HCRI therapy, the majority of clients say they were able to advance their careers and earnings.

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More than 6,500 people from across the U.S. and 50 countries have come to HCRI for stuttering treatment. Clients represent all walks of life and include teachers, business professionals, athletes, broadcasters, engineers, musicians, students, doctors, military personnel, police officers, actors, a Supreme Court nominee, and even royalty.  

Founded by Ronald L Webster, Ph.D. in 1972, Virginia-based HCRI is an international leader in stuttering research and the development of scientifically derived therapy approaches.

For information about the one-of-a-kind, behavioral therapy offered at HCRI, visit www.stuttering.org and/or contact us by email or phone at (540) 265-5650.

 

HCRI Stuttering Therapy – Now Enrolling for Fall and Winter Programs

Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI) announces new fall and winter program dates for the national stuttering research and therapy center’s 12-day stuttering treatment program.

HCRI stuttering therapy is powerful, practical and proven. Invented in-house by HCRI’s own research scientists, the nonprofit institute’s stuttering therapy offering is an advanced, innovative system that helps individuals who stutter acquire life-long skills to control stuttering and speak fluently at will. The 12-day behavioral therapy is an immersion-based program with systematic treatment protocols and proprietary technology.

In the past 45 years, HCRI stuttering therapy helped thousands overcome stuttering and transform their lives through fluency. Here are upcoming therapy program dates:

2018 Fall and Winter Therapy Dates
Stuttering Therapy Scholarships Available
August 20 – 31
September 10 – 21
October 8 – 19
November 5 – 16
November 26 – December 7

 

HCRI Stuttering Therapy Headquarters
HCRI’s stuttering research and therapy center is based in Roanoke, Virginia.

HCRI stuttering therapy operates at the highest level of quality-controlled, behavioral stuttering therapy available today. In addition, HCRI clinicians are the only professionals in the world certified to administer the therapy. They participate in a rigorous 500-hour training program to ensure the best possible fluency outcomes for clients.

Apply Online >>

For individuals interested in enrolling, simply complete an online stuttering therapy application on the institute’s secure website. The team at HCRI will follow-up with each individual to answer questions and schedule program dates.

Stuttering therapy scholarships are available for the fall and winter program dates for those who need financial assistance and who qualify. Information about scholarships will be provided once a therapy application is submitted.

More information about HCRI and the center’s advanced stuttering therapy system is available at www.stuttering.org. Individuals may also contact HCRI at info@stuttering.org or (540) 265-5650.  All inquiries are welcomed.

HCRI Receives Major Gift for Stuttering Therapy Scholarships

National Business Leader Sander A. Flaum Donates $100,000 to HCRI to Help Individuals Attend Life-Changing Stuttering Therapy

Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), an international stuttering research and therapy center headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, received a $100,000 gift from Sander A. Flaum, principal of New York-based Flaum Navigators. Flaum is a sought-after leadership consultant, business speaker, best-selling author, adjunct professor at Fordham University Gabelli School of Business, and host of a weekly radio show.

Sander A. Flaum
Sander A. Flaum

Flaum has been an ardent supporter of HCRI through the years. The institute is a 45-year-old nonprofit organization led by Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D. Webster and his research scientists invented the first science-based, behavioral therapy for stuttering that imparts life-long fluency skills.

Continually enhanced with the latest research and treatment technology, HCRI’s 12-day program delivers among the highest documented fluency outcomes for stuttering therapy.

Flaum’s gift will be used over the next ten years for HCRI stuttering therapy scholarships to help individuals with financial challenges attend the institute’s stuttering treatment program.

“Sander’s support of HCRI through the years, including this latest gift, makes life-changing therapy accessible for those who struggle with stuttering,” Webster said. “His generosity directly impacts lives by enabling individuals to participate in HCRI stuttering therapy and realize their full potential through fluency.”

Flaum has spent his career leading and motivating businesses to excel and is recognized as one of the “100 Most Inspiring People” by PharmaVoice. He travels the country to meet with heads of business, conduct marketing workshops, and speak at conferences and college commencements. Yet, with his impressive public persona, no one would know that Flaum has struggled with stuttering since the age of five. In fact, his stuttering has been among his biggest barriers to overcome in life.

As a child, Flaum’s stuttered speech inhibited his ability to speak freely and express himself. Despite trying traditional speech therapy, as he got older his stuttering became increasingly pervasive, affecting him personally and professionally.

“People thought I was less intelligent or had mental deficiencies because I stuttered,” Flaum said. “There is a tremendous amount of ignorance and misconceptions that surround stuttering.”

While enduring ridicule and often being overlooked because of his stuttering, Flaum continued to push forward to achieve his goals. He was inspired by his encouraging mother who told him that “you have to work harder and smarter” to succeed as a stutterer.

When Flaum was in his early thirties, he heard about the advanced stuttering therapy at HCRI. He enrolled in the treatment program and found the experience to be transforming. Flaum learned new ways to use his speech muscles to control his stuttering and speak fluently at will. After he returned home, Flaum regularly practiced the skills he learned at HCRI to habituate his newly acquired fluency. The ability to speak fluently changed his life and enabled the business executive to realize his career goals.

After his experience with HCRI, Flaum became an advocate for others who stutter and made a commitment to make effective stuttering therapy more accessible. He started the Rose Flaum Foundation, named for his mother, to fund stuttering therapy scholarships to help individuals attend HCRI therapy.

According to Flaum, “Most stutterers go through a lot of adversity. The key is to not let it get to you. Instead, you have to work harder and smarter, as my mother always said. For me, giving my all and HCRI stuttering therapy made the difference.”

Working harder and smarter has become Flaum’s beacon for all aspects of his life. It has served him well and he uses it to inspire others.

About HCRI

HCRI was founded by Ronald L Webster, Ph.D. in 1972 to investigate stuttering through scientific discovery and treatment innovation. Virginia-based HCRI, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, has become an international leader in stuttering research and the development of scientifically derived therapy approaches.

More than 6,500 people from across the U.S. and 50 countries have come to HCRI for stuttering treatment. Clients come from all walks of life and include teachers, business professionals, athletes, broadcasters, engineers, musicians, students, doctors, military personnel, police officers, actors, a Supreme Court nominee, and even royalty.

HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive, Roanoke, Va. 24019. For more information, visit www.stuttering.org or contact HCRI at (540) 265-5650.

How You Can Donate

HCRI depends on gifts of all amounts from HCRI alumni and friends to continue operations and make therapy accessible to individuals who stutter. Gifts small and large will make a difference in the nonprofit center’s ability to help those who stutter transform their lives through fluency.  Please donate at stuttering.org/donate.php. All gifts are tax deductible.

HCRI Announces New Staff Clinicians

Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI – www.stuttering.org), a national center for stuttering research and treatment innovation, welcomes two new clinical team members: Amy Finch and Kristin Stanley. Both professionals bring to HCRI excellent behavioral therapy experience and a passion for helping individuals overcome challenges.

Kristin and Amy have just completed HCRI’s rigorous 500-hour training that certifies them to administer the nonprofit center’s advanced stuttering therapy program. Certification is required of all HCRI clinicians to ensure clients benefit from consistent, precise delivery of HCRI therapy and the highest standards of clinical excellence.

As staff clinicians, Kristin and Amy join current clinical team members Holly Humphreys, Candy Smith and Courtney Stackhouse to serve HCRI alumni and new therapy participants.

Meet Amy Finch

Amy FinchAmy Finch came to HCRI after extensive experience serving as a clinician and director of human resources for a private mental health facility in Virginia. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Amy was drawn to HCRI because of the dramatic impact that the therapy has on the lives of clients. She says it is so rewarding to see the smiles on clients’ faces when they leave the program speaking fluently.

In her free time, Amy spends time with her husband and son enjoying the array of outdoor activities that the Roanoke Valley offers.

Meet Kristin Stanley

Kristin Stanley

Before joining the HCRI team, Kristin Stanley worked as a psychiatric case manager at Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare. Her experience also includes serving as a social worker for a senior living facility.

Kristin graduated from Johnson University with a bachelor’s degree in counseling. She has a gift for encouraging people to achieve their goals, which she has applied throughout her career.

Kristin says the best part of her job at HCRI is watching the incredible transformation that takes place when clients achieve fluency and gain confidence with their speech. In her spare time, Kristin enjoys traveling and painting.

About HCRI

HCRI was founded by Ronald L Webster, Ph.D. in 1972 to investigate stuttering through scientific discovery and treatment innovation. Virginia-based HCRI, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, has become an international leader in stuttering research and the development of scientifically derived therapy approaches.

More than 6,500 people from across the U.S. and 50 countries have come to HCRI for stuttering treatment. Clients come from all walks of life and include teachers, business professionals, athletes, broadcasters, engineers, musicians, students, doctors, military personnel, police officers, actors, a Supreme Court nominee, and even royalty.

HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive, Roanoke, Va. 24019. For more information, visit www.stuttering.org or contact HCRI at (540) 265-5650.

HCRI Stuttering Therapy: A Mother’s Experience

Annette Tepper of Birmingham, Michigan began stuttering when she was six years old. Her speech condition was not pronounced; yet, it inhibited her from speaking up in class and feeling comfortable with herself. She always worried that she would stutter when she spoke.

As she progressed through her education and grew into adulthood, Annette was able to manage her stuttering in most circumstances. Yet, she remained concerned about her speech and how stuttering can hinder an individual’s potential in life – professionally and socially.

mother and sonAnnette went on to marry and have a successful career as an engineer at Ford Motor Company. When she and her husband started their family, Annette watched for signs of stuttering with their two young children. She read that stuttering, in some cases, may have a genetic predisposition.

When her older child, Stephen, reached the age of six, he began to stutter. It was the same age that she started stuttering. Yet, unlike Annette’s mild case of stuttering, Stephen’s condition was severe.

The Teppers enrolled Stephen in speech therapy at school to help treat his stuttering. When that didn’t work, they took their son to private-practice speech therapists in the years that followed.

“There was some improvement with one of the therapists Stephen saw, but the results were not lasting. So Stephen moved forward with his young life, surrounded by accepting friends and supportive teachers,” Annette said. The Teppers continually encouraged their son and did everything possible to build his confidence so his speech would not get in the way of his aspirations.

When he entered his teens, Stephen became more self-conscious about his speech. He was ready to try a new type of therapy offered by Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI). Annette learned about HCRI early in her career when she was investigating therapies for herself. The Virginia-based nonprofit center is recognized for its groundbreaking work in stuttering research and therapy innovation.

HCRI’s stuttering therapy is an intensive, 12-day behavioral program, which is designed for teens and adults who stutter. Invented by HCRI President Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D. and his research team, the therapy teaches individuals who stutter how to control misbehaving muscles that give rise to stuttering. At the same time, they learn new ways to use speech muscles to generate fluent speech at will.

“HCRI stuttering therapy is powerful and practical. Individuals receive one-on-one instruction by specially trained clinicians who guide them through each step of our fluency program.” Webster explained. “Participants also utilize our advanced technology and a proprietary mobile app that make fluency acquisition easier and exacting.”

Stuttering treatment takes place in HCRI’s clinical setting, as well as in real-world environments. When participants return home, they are provided with a comprehensive package of post-therapy support and practice tools to help maintain fluency.

Stephen worked hard throughout his 12-day program and was dedicated to the therapy process. According to Annette, by the end of treatment, Stephen’s speech had transformed from stuttering 90 percent of the time to speaking fluently 90 percent of the time.

When Stephen returned home, he practiced his newfound fluency skills each day. HCRI clinicians emphasize the importance of practice after therapy to habituate speech-muscle movements that generate fluency.

Two years later, as Stephen prepared for college, he asked to return to HCRI for two days to hone his fluency. With ambitions to study for a career in politics and public speaking, he wanted to ensure his speech was perfected for his future.

“As a parent, it feels so good to know Stephen has the tools to manage his stuttering and has achieved a high level of fluency. HCRI was the right decision for Stephen and I highly recommend it,” Annette said.

More than 6,500 people from across the U.S. and 50 countries have come to HCRI for stuttering treatment. Clients include many students like Stephen, as well as individuals from all walks of life, including television journalists, business professionals, teachers, engineers, doctors, military personnel, police officers, actors, a supreme court nominee, and even royalty.

HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive in Roanoke, Virginia . For more information, visit www.stuttering.org or contact HCRI at (540) 265-5650.

Now Enrolling for HCRI’s 2018 Summer & Fall Programs – Stuttering Therapy Scholarships Available!

1 HCRI Headquarters

At HCRI, we have helped thousands who stutter acquire the skills to speak fluently for a lifetime. Invented by our research scientists, HCRI’s systematic treatment approach and proprietary stuttering therapy technology provide you with the tools to become a confident, fluent speaker.

We are now accepting stuttering therapy applications for our 12-day summer and fall programs. If you are ready to take control of your speech, there is no better time to participate in our therapy. Thanks to the generosity of past participants who made gifts to HCRI, we have a select number of stuttering therapy scholarships available for those with demonstrated need.

Upcoming HCRI Program Dates

May 7 – 18
May 28 – June 8
June 18 – 29
July 9 – 20
July 30 – August 10
August 20 – 31
September 10 – 21
October 8 – 19

To enroll in HCRI stuttering therapy, simply complete a stuttering therapy application. We will follow-up with you to answer questions, schedule your program date, and share scholarship information for the above dates.

Learn more about HCRI Stuttering Therapy >>

HCRI’s Roanoke, Virginia Location

two shot

Your therapy will be held at HCRI’s national stuttering therapy center in Roanoke, Virginia. Individuals have come to our welcoming city from across the U.S. and 50 countries to achieve fluency with HCRI.

Roanoke is easily accessible and within a day’s drive of 65% of the U.S. population. If you choose to fly, the airport is a 15-minute drive to HCRI.

Roanoke serves as an inspiring backdrop for your 12 days. The area offers breathtaking mountain views, a lively downtown scene, unique attractions, cultural experiences, and near-endless outdoor activities. Learn more about Roanoke.

For more information, please call us at (540) 265-5650 or click here to send an email.  We look forward to getting to know you and welcoming you to our center.