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 Nic Brow at: nic@friendswhostutter.org 

Rita Thurman received her MS degree Utah State University. She has worked in the schools and in clinical settings in Utah, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Virgina and South/North Carolina. She has been in private practice in Raleigh, NC since 1985. Her practice focuses on the evaluation and treatment of children, teens and adults who stutter. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Stuttering, Cluttering and Fluency Disorders and served as Chair on the Executive Board of the American Board of Stuttering, Cluttering and Fluency Disorders. Ms. Thurman was awarded the NC Clinical Achievement Award in 2012, the NSA SLP of the year in 2015 and the NSA Chapter of the year in 2021–all for her work to improve services for children and adults who stutter. Ms. Thurman has presented workshops on fluency disorders for the NC Department of Public Instruction, the NC Speech-Hearing & Language Association, the ASHA Fluency Leadership Conference and the National Stuttering Association and has presented several workshops at ASHA. She has participated in the International Stuttering Awareness Day online conference and contributed a chapter in the book: Stuttering–Inspirational Stories, Professional Wisdom. She is a National Stuttering Association Adult and TWST (Teens Who STutter) Chapters leader, and sponsors an annual Friend’s Workshop in North Carolina.