For some people, stuttering has little impact on everyday life. For others, it can affect confidence, participation in conversations, classroom experiences, relationships, employment, or willingness to say what they want to say.

The Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center provides specialized stuttering evaluation and treatment for children, adolescents, and adults.

Our approach prioritizes communication. We want individuals who stutter to feel empowered to say what they want to say, when they want to say it, while developing the knowledge, strategies, confidence, and self-advocacy skills they need to communicate successfully.

What is stuttering?

Everyone experiences moments of disfluency, such as pauses, hesitations, revisions, or repeating words or phrases.

People who stutter may experience additional types of disfluencies, including:

Repeating sounds or syllables, such as “c-c-c-cookie”
Prolonging sounds, such as “lllllike this”
Blocks, when a person knows what they want to say but experiences difficulty initiating or continuing the sound

Some people may also experience physical tension or develop behaviors associated with moments of stuttering, such as changes in eye contact, facial tension, blinking, or other movements.

However, what we hear is only one part of stuttering.

Stuttering can also influence how a person thinks, feels, communicates, and participates in everyday life. Some people may avoid certain words, situations, people, or activities because they anticipate stuttering.

For this reason, a comprehensive approach to stuttering considers not only speech fluency but also the individual’s communication experiences and the impact stuttering has on their life.

What causes stuttering?

Stuttering is a complex neurodevelopmental communication disorder influenced by multiple factors, including genetic and neurological differences.

It is important for individuals and families to know:

Stuttering is not caused by low intelligence
Stuttering is not caused by nervousness or anxiety, although emotions and speaking situations can influence how much a person stutters
Parents do not cause their child’s stuttering
Telling someone to “slow down,” “relax,” or “take a breath” does not resolve stuttering
Stuttering can look and sound different from one person to another and can vary across situations and over time

Understanding stuttering is an important part of reducing misconceptions and helping individuals become knowledgeable and confident communicators.

When Should My Child Be Evaluated?

Many young children experience periods of disfluency while developing speech and language. However, an evaluation may be helpful if:

Your child frequently repeats sounds or syllables
Sounds appear to become “stuck”
Your child stretches or prolongs sounds
You notice physical tension or struggle during speaking
Stuttering has persisted or increased over time
Your child expresses frustration, embarrassment, or concern about talking
Your child begins avoiding words or speaking situations
There is a family history of stuttering
You are simply concerned about your child’s fluency

Parents do not need to determine whether their child’s disfluencies are “normal” before contacting us. A stuttering evaluation can help determine whether intervention, monitoring, parent education, or another approach is appropriate.

When Might an Adolescent or Adult Benefit from Therapy?

Older children, teens, and adults may seek stuttering therapy for many different reasons.

Therapy may be helpful if stuttering:

Makes it difficult to say what you want to say
Leads you to change or avoid words
Causes you to avoid introducing yourself, ordering food, making phone calls, answering questions, or speaking in groups
Affects participation at school or work
Influences social relationships
Causes fear or anxiety about speaking situations
Affects confidence or self-perception
Makes communication physically effortful
Prevents you from pursuing activities or opportunities that are important to you

You do not have to want to “stop stuttering” to benefit from therapy. Your goals may instead involve communicating more freely, reducing physical struggle, becoming more comfortable with stuttering, increasing self-confidence, or advocating for yourself as a person who stutters.

What to Expect During a Stuttering Evaluation?

A comprehensive stuttering evaluation looks at more than the number of times a person stutters.

Our clinicians want to understand the individual’s complete communication experience.

Depending on age and individual needs, an evaluation may include:

Speech samples across different speaking activities
Frequency and types of stuttering
Physical tension or struggle associated with speaking
Speech and language development
Family history of stuttering
Situations in which stuttering changes
Thoughts and feelings about communication
Avoidance of words or speaking situations
Impact of stuttering at home, school, work, or in the community
Communication confidence and participation
Individual and family concerns and goals

Following the evaluation, our clinicians discuss the findings and recommendations with the individual and family and work collaboratively to determine appropriate next steps.

Individualized Stuttering Therapy

There is no single therapy approach that is appropriate for every person who stutters.

Treatment goals are individualized based on the person’s age, communication experiences, needs, and priorities.

Depending on the individual, therapy may focus on:

Understanding stuttering
Developing strategies for managing moments of stuttering
Reducing physical tension and struggle during speech
Increasing communication confidence
Reducing avoidance of words or situations
Addressing thoughts and feelings associated with stuttering
Increasing participation in meaningful communication situations
Developing self-advocacy skills
Educating family members, teachers, peers, or employers about stuttering
Becoming more comfortable communicating openly about stuttering

Most importantly, successful stuttering therapy is not defined solely by how fluently someone speaks.

Our goal is to help individuals become confident, effective communicators who are able to participate fully in the conversations and activities that matter to them.

Stuttering Therapy for Young Children

For young children, treatment frequently includes parents and caregivers.

Depending on the child’s needs, therapy may involve:

Parent education about stuttering
Strategies for supporting comfortable communication at home
Direct or indirect approaches to fluency
Helping children understand and talk openly about stuttering when appropriate
Supporting positive attitudes toward communication
Monitoring changes in stuttering over time

Parents are an important part of the treatment team and are provided with practical strategies that can be incorporated into everyday family routines.

Stuttering Therapy for School-Age Children and Teens

School can create unique communication challenges for children and adolescents who stutter.

Therapy may address situations such as:

Answering questions in class
Reading aloud
Giving presentations
Talking with peers
Introducing themselves
Ordering at restaurants
Making phone calls
Responding to questions about stuttering
Advocating for communication needs at school

When appropriate and with family permission, our clinicians can also collaborate with teachers, school-based speech-language pathologists, and other members of the educational team.

Individual and Group Therapy

The Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center offers both individual and group treatment opportunities for people who stutter.

Individual therapy allows clinicians to develop highly personalized treatment goals.

Group experiences provide something different: the opportunity to communicate with and learn from other people who stutter.

Depending on individual needs and available programs, clinicians may recommend individual therapy, group therapy, or a combination of both.

National Stuttering Association Support Groups

One of the most powerful experiences for many people who stutter is discovering that they are not alone.

The Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center hosts local chapters of the National Stuttering Association (NSA) for children, teens, adults, and families.

These groups are support groups rather than therapy services. They provide opportunities for people who stutter to meet others with similar experiences, develop confidence, share experiences, and communicate in a supportive environment.

Huntington/Marshall University Family Chapter

The Family Chapter is open to children and adolescents who stutter, ages 7–17, and their families.

Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Huntington/Marshall University Adult Chapter

The Adult Chapter is open to adults ages 18 and older who stutter and their families.

Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Contact the Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center for additional information about upcoming NSA meetings.

Why Choose Marshall University?

Individuals and families choose the Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center for stuttering services because we provide:

Specialized stuttering evaluation and treatment
Services for toddlers, children, adolescents, and adults
Individualized treatment based on each person’s goals
Individual and group therapy opportunities
Treatment that addresses the complete experience of stuttering—not just observable speech
Family education and involvement
Support for communication confidence and self-advocacy
Collaboration with schools and other professionals when appropriate
Opportunities to connect with other people who stutter
Local National Stuttering Association chapters
Graduate student clinicians supervised by experienced speech-language pathologists

Our approach recognizes that the ultimate goal of stuttering therapy is not simply fluent speech. It is helping people communicate what they want to say and participate fully in their lives.

Insurance and Payment

The Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center bills insurance for speech-language evaluation and treatment services.

Insurance coverage and individual out-of-pocket costs vary by plan. Families and clients are encouraged to contact their insurance provider regarding coverage for speech-language services and any plan-specific requirements.

Our clinic staff can also provide information about billing and payment options.

Schedule a Stuttering Evaluation

If you are concerned about your child’s stuttering—or if you are an adolescent or adult who wants stuttering to have less impact on your communication and everyday life—our team is here to help.

Contact the Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center to learn more about stuttering evaluations, individualized therapy, group opportunities, insurance billing, or our National Stuttering Association support groups.

Contact Us

Speech & Hearing Center @ Marshall