The Friends One-Day Conference is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together and learn more about stuttering, supporting their child, and to begin building community. Children’s programming is activity-based and focuses on exploring attitudes and emotions, increasing understanding of stuttering, and instilling a greater sense of confidence — while making FRIENDS! SLPs and students will learn more about stuttering, current therapies, and the support available for those who stutter.

Financial assistance is available. If you would like to attend this one-day conference but you are experiencing financial difficulties and find the cost prohibitive, please reach out to Sara MacIntyre at: sara@friendswhostutter.org 

Any questions? Please reach out to our local host, Heather Salvo, at hsalvo@wisc.edu

Heather D. Salvo, Ph.D., CCC-SLP (she/her) is a postdoctoral researcher at the Wisconsin Intelligibility, Speech, and Communication (WISC) Laboratory, located in the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research involves exploring the role of stress, appraisal, and emotional responses in developmental stuttering. In addition to these research interests, Heather is passionate about supporting people who stutter, their families, and SLPs through connection and education. Heather has taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in speech-language pathology, and she has presented on topics related to stuttering at international, state, and local conferences.

Bryan Brown, Ph.D., CCC-SLP (he/him) is an assistant professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He has personal, clinical, academic and research experience with stuttering. His research interests focus on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning specifically related to stuttering and other fluency disorders. He very much enjoys working with students as they learn more about stuttering and people who stutter as they share their own experiences. He also has a really cute dog, Thea, who often comes to class with him.

Katie Gore, M.A., CCC-SLP is the founder and director of speech IRL, a speech therapy education and consulting firm. Katie’s clinical specialties are stuttering, executive function, social communication. In addition to her clinical experience as a speech-language pathologist, Katie provides training and consulting to clinicians and organizations on topics related to communication and inclusive therapy approaches. Katie is an adjunct faculty member at Rush University where she teaches coursework in stuttering and fluency disorders. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Stuttering Association, the co-founder of Shared Voices Chicago, and an active participant in the stuttering community.

Nick Caruso M.S., CCC-SLP is a person who stutters and a speech-language pathologist at the Chmela Communication Center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois where he provides assessment and treatment for clients of all ages who stutter, have other fluency disorders or have other speech and language needs. Nick is a Facilitator at Camp Shout Out, and a co-director of the Camp Shout Out Community Connections virtual program. He received a Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Midwestern University in Downer’s Grove, Illinois in 2020. In recent years, Nick has guest lectured at Midwestern University (fluency course), has presented twice at the Virtual Logopedics Conference in the Czech Republic (with colleagues Kyle Pelkey, M.S., CCC-SLP and Erik Raj, Ph.D., CCC-SLP), and recently presented with Kyle Pelkey at the 2024 Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Nick is forever grateful for the relationship with his mentors Kimberly Hoffer, CCC-SLP, and Kristin Chmela M.A., CCC-SLP, BCS-F. Nick is returning to Friends after leading two workshops with Kyle Pelkey at the 2023 Friends convention.

Briann Morbitzer, M.S., CCC-SLP is the owner and clinician of Superior Speech Therapy–a private practice in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her clients are mostly kids and adults who stutter including the client’s family and support. Bri is the founder and facilitator of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Stuttering Group which is a social conversation group for adults who stutter. While Bri is not a person who stutters herself, she is a creator of space for those that do. She enjoys learning and connecting authentically with others.

Lindsey Burant is a wife and mother of two boys. Stuttering runs in her family and she has stuttered her whole life. She currently serves as the Chapter Leader for the NSA Milwaukee Chapter Support Group.

Lila Magalski is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying to be a speech-language pathologist. She has stuttered her whole life and loves opportunities to give back to the community so near and dear to her heart. In her spare time she enjoys nature, music, and being with those she loves the most.