If you or someone you care about stutters, you know firsthand how overwhelming it can seem.  Trying to hide or avoid it often seems to make it worse. We understand the nuances of stuttering and provide holistic, individualized therapy for children and adults of all ages.

Without proper therapy, stuttering can impact one’s academic performance, job opportunities, social interactions, and so much more. The American Institute for Stuttering helps people to speak without fear, struggle, or avoidance. AIS changes lives and opens doors of possibility.

We offer individual stuttering therapy and group therapy services in-person in our Manhattan office as well as tele-therapy via Zoom. Our office in Chelsea is centrally located and conveniently accessible from the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Lower Manhattan, as well as Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, New Jersey, Long Island, and the entire Metropolitan Area. 

Our speech therapists specialize in helping people who stutter and/or clutter and providing support for their families. We provide comprehensive assessment and treatment programs, and we develop individualized therapy plans to maximize communication potential for each person.

Learn more about our therapy services for preschoolers, kids, teenagers, and adults

What Makes The American Institute for Stuttering Different

AIS is a recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing top-notch therapy for people who stutter and to make those services accessible, regardless of financial constraints. When people first come to AIS, they often describe feeling confused and alone. They soon discover a true community where they feel understood and supported - a place where they can free their voice. 

Learn more about our life-changing therapy and the financial assistance that makes it affordable.

Understanding Speech Therapy for Stuttering

People generally assume that speech therapy for stuttering involves learning physical tactics to speak fluently. Many people who stutter who come to us have had previous therapy along these lines, with varying degrees of success.  

Truly effective therapy for stuttering addresses much more than the physical aspects. The observable characteristics of stuttering are usually only the tip of the iceberg. In order for therapy to have a positive and durable impact, it must address the underlying emotions, physical struggle, avoidance behaviors, and associated negative beliefs. Our warm and experienced therapists work on all of these aspects of stuttering providing support, a sounding board, and important guidance to speaking without fear and freely.

Therapy sessions for stuttering can be one-on-one or in groups, and treatment plans are customized according to age and personal needs.  

Whether you've never had speech therapy before, or you feel you've tried everything in the book, you will have a different experience at AIS that is both positive and long-lasting.

Learn more about stuttering therapy at AIS.

How Speech Therapy Can Change Lives

If you or a loved one have experienced stuttering, you know how it can negatively impact daily life, personal relationships, career aspirations, and more. At AIS, people who stutter of all ages are learning to:  

  • develop and maintain healthy attitudes about their ability to speak up and engage in social and academic settings
  • speak freely and confidently
  • self-advocate assertively and unapologetically
  • pursue desired educational/career paths and engage in meaningful relationships
  • be their authentic selves 

Take a look at our broad scope of services below. 

New York City Speech Therapy Services 

Comprehensive Speech Fluency Evaluations

We offer comprehensive evaluations, using age-appropriate protocols. Assessments include the following: 

  • physical characteristics of stuttering 
  • the impact stuttering is making on daily life, thoughts, and emotions
  • speech and language skills, including articulation, comprehension, and overall verbal expression
  • for kids, parent, caregiver, and teacher perceptions of the problem 

Pediatric Stuttering Therapy 

We offer speech therapy services in person and online for children of all ages as well as support for parents. We help: 

  • parents learn ways to best support their child's fluency, confidence, and communication growth
  • children speak with confidence and without fear 
  • the entire family understand often confusing aspects of stuttering and develop the language to talk about it openly and supportively

Get more information about AIS therapy for preschoolers and kids.

Stuttering Therapy for Teens and Adults

For teens and adults, the fear of stuttering is often the worst part of living with the problem. Stuttering often leads to a long list of avoidances, including opting out of speaking opportunities, changing words, and using physical tricks to get words out. We know stuttering is a lot more than what people hear, and our therapy will help with: 

  • speaking without physical struggle or tension
  • reducing avoidance behaviors of all types
  • helping you become more open, and less emotionally reactive to stuttering

Learn more about AIS therapy for teens and adults.

Group Workshops & Sponsored Events

When you are an AIS client you have access to a wealth of educational and enjoyable workshops and activities. Thanks to our generous supporters, many of our events are sponsored, and free to the AIS community. Offerings include:  

  • public speaking workshops
  • speaker series, featuring professional researchers, prominent people who stutter, authors, etc
  • social events, holiday parties, movie screenings, etc 
  • workshops in areas including stress reduction, meditation and mindfulness, improvisation, small talk, and more

Take a look at our upcoming events!

Group Therapy & Support Groups

We offer support groups at least once per month that are free to all current and past AIS clients. In addition, many of our clients participate in weekly or bi-weekly therapy groups.

Benefits of group therapy include: 

  • being provided a safe space to share thoughts and feelings, explore stuttering, and practice new ways of speaking
  • the chance to connect with other people who stutter from all walks of life
  • an opportunity to work with others to face speaking-related fears
  • learning and incorporating strategies that have helped other people who stutter

Visit our Group Therapy & Support Groups page to learn more.

Professional Training

We offer one-on-one and group consultations for professionals who are seeking advanced clinical training or help with a specific case. Graduate students are also invited to apply for an internship during our one-week immersion programs. Our trainings help you learn to: 

  • go beyond what you learned in graduate school and better understand the limitations of fluency shaping and stuttering modification techniques
  • understand the lived experience of stuttering 
  • carry out comprehensive evaluations to understand the full impact of stuttering on a person's life
  • prioritize communication over fluency in order to make a lasting impact

Upcoming programs are listed on our events calendar and our internship application is available here.

Related Services

In addition to speech fluency disorders, AIS therapists have expertise working with individuals with other communication disorders, including:

  • articulation, apraxia of speech, and other speech disorders 
  • autism spectrum disorder and other social language disorders
  • receptive & expressive language disorders
  • reading comprehension & auditory processing
  • voice disorders, dysarthria, and more

We collaborate with (or refer to) other professionals, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, and others.

Speech Therapists in New York City

best speech clinics in NYC

All AIS speech-language pathologists have advanced training and expertise in stuttering, cluttering, and acquired fluency disorders. They all have master's degrees in speech-language pathology and hold certificates of clinical competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Our clinicians regularly attend and present at conferences in the area of stuttering, and are active in local and national support communities for people who stutter, which include: 

Financial Assistance for Stuttering Therapy in New York City

We are dedicated to making state-of-the-art stuttering therapy available to all. Thanks to our generous donors, we are able to offer financial assistance to those who need it. If you or a loved one are ready for therapy and are worried about the cost, our financial assistance can help. Learn more about AIS financial assistance.

Get Started with Speech Therapy in NYC Today 

We want to help you speak freely and build the confidence you have been longing for. You are not alone in this journey. We are here to help you and your loved ones on the road ahead. Contact us here, or reach out directly to our New York City office at (212) 633-6400 or speakfreely@stutteringtreatment.org to set up your first appointment today!

 

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