Financial assistance is available

If you would like to attend this one-day event but find the cost prohibitive, please reach out to Nic Brow at: nic@friendswhostutter.org 

Join our individualized one-day program!

Young people who stutter

Meet other people who stutter, share challenges and successes, learn about stuttering and ways to increase your confidence, and have fun communicating

Adults who stutter

Share your story, and connect with other adults and young people who stutter across workshops, shared meals, and large group activities

Parents & Caregivers

Learn how to best support your child, meet other caregivers of people who stutter, and share experiences and concerns with people who get it

SLPs & Students

Learn more about stuttering, current therapy practices, and the support available to people who stutter and their families. SLPs earn 0.55 CEUs

Presenters and Facilitators

Rita Thurman, M.S. CCC-SLP, BCS-SCF has worked in the schools and in clinical settings in Utah, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Virginia 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.

Shelby Potts M.S. CCC-SLP, BCS-SCF is a speech-language pathologist working in private practice in Raleigh, NC. She is a person who stutters. Her practice, Oak City Speech and Language Therapy, focuses on the holistic evaluation and treatment of children, teens, and adults who stutter, clutter, and/or have other fluency differences. She has presented at local, state, and national conventions and is involved in local support communities. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Stuttering, Cluttering and Fluency Disorders and serves as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of the American Board of Stuttering, Cluttering and Fluency Disorders.

Tricia Zebrowski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is Professor Emerita at the University of Iowa, and a speech-language pathologist specializing in stuttering. Her clinical, research and teaching expertise is stuttering intervention, with a special focus on teenagers who stutter. For over 20 years, Tricia directed UISpeaks for Teens, a residential therapy program for teens who stutter. Her most recent work attempts to uncover the ways of thinking that facilitate teenagers’ decisions about their stuttering.

Clarice Friedrich, M.M., M.A., CF-SLP, graduated from UNC Greensboro and currently practices in the public school setting. She is passionate about providing compassionate and affirming services to people who stutter, clutter, and have other fluency differences. Clarice is involved in local stuttering support communities and has assisted with workshops at regional and national Friends conferences

Rob Dellinger, M.S., CCC-SLP, has worked as a speech-language pathologist with the Wake County Public School System since 1998. He has served as the district’s stuttering consultant, first informally for many years and then formally since 2017. Rob has presented at the local, state, and national levels and has appeared as a guest on podcasts such as the Stuttering Foundation and StutterTalk. He has been involved in local stuttering support communities and has assisted with Friends workshops. Rob is passionate about supporting colleagues in navigating the complexities of stuttering assessment and treatment, as well as providing and advocating for child-centered therapy based on the unique needs of each individual.

Sample Schedule

Learning Outcomes

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Explain the relationship between effective intervention and self–esteem for children who stutter.
• Describe the need for a management approach to childhood stuttering that includes parents, professionals and support networks.
• Identify specific social and clinical strategies for supporting children and their families.

Friends Accommodation Statement

Friends is committed to providing accessible programming in accordance with ASHA standards and our values of inclusion and equity. Accommodation requests will be reviewed individually, and we will make every effort to meet those needs based on available resources.

To request accommodations or ask questions, please contact Nic Brow at nic@friendswhostutter.org at least 5 days in advance.