With school coming to an end, it’s time to start thinking about summer plans. In the Stuttering world, summer means conference season. An opportunity to spend a few days surrounded by other kids, teens, and adults who stutter, other parents and speech therapists all looking to deepen their understanding of the experience of stuttering and come together to provide unparalleled support. In many cases, families who attend a support conference for the first time walk away feeling like it was the best decision they ever made for themselves or for their family. This summer there are two major support conventions: FRIENDS in Omaha, Nebraska and the National Stuttering Association in Chicago, IL. Don’t let the distance intimidate you–both conferences offer financial assistance and opportunities to share the cost of rooms with other participants if you’re traveling solo.
Here are some resources to get a better understanding of how you may benefit from support:
The FRIENDS website has pages dedicated to sharing how parents, kids, teens, SLPs, and more can benefit from attending a conference.
Read Reflections from 2017 FRIENDS Convention Participants: Here
“We felt like we ‘belonged’ as soon as we arrived at the hotel. We benefitted so much from hearing of other families’ journeys, their challenges and their victories. In the parents’ sessions, we experienced a sense of belonging. We visited with other parents of stutterers, young adults and adults who stutter who all have amazing stories. We witnessed young people stand up and speak in front of a crowd with such courage.”
