About the experts (in alphabetic order by last name):

Jospeh Agius, Ed.D., is a Speech Language Pathologist with special interest in fluency disorders and humour research. As partner expert nominated by the University of Malta, Dr. Agius collaborates with experts from thirteen European Universities and two centres of excellence on the development and delivery of the ‘European Clinical Specialization Course in Fluency Disorders’. He is Senior Practitioner of the Speech Language Department and employed by the Health Division, Government of Malta. Dr. Agius is visiting senior lecturer at the University of Malta lecturing on ‘Fluency Disorders’, ‘Language and Psychiatry’, ‘Creativity, Humour and Communication’ and ‘Legal and Ethical Issues’. He is a member on the Fluency Committee of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP). He is author of the iOS application ‘Fluency SIS’ – Smart Intervention Strategy for school- age children who stutter.

Nancy Barcal, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the Founding Director of Granite Bay Speech and has over 32 years experience treating individuals who stutter and clutter. Nancy received her Bachelor’s Degree from Bradley University, (Peoria, Illinois) and her Master’s Degree from Northern Illinois University, (DeKalb, Illinois). The National Stuttering Association (NSA) recognized her as the 2009 Chapter Leader of the Year.  Nancy has been an active member of the NSA since 1983.  She is a member of ASHA’s Fluency Disorders Special Interest Group. Nancy is a frequent guest speaker on the subject of fluency disorders and counseling techniques at Northern California school districts, hospitals, and Sacramento State University (Sacramento, California).  She recently presented, “Providing the Best Care for Your Client Who Stutters” at the National Student Speech and Hearing Association Conference in Sacramento, California. Nancy has developed clinical fluency evaluation and treatment guidelines for the insurance industry. She has worked in home health, schools and hospitals, as well as, private practice.  Nancy works with the Roseville Theatre Group to provide opportunities for people who stutter to volunteer in the theatre for generalization of skills.  She is passionate about increasing awareness of fluency disorders and advocating for better treatment options.

Paul Blanchet is an Associate Professor at Baylor University. He earned his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2002, and his primary areas of specialization are fluency disorders and motor speech disorders. Prior to joining the Baylor faulty in 2012, Dr. Blanchet held faculty appointments at the State University of New York at Fredonia and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. He is also a certified speech-language pathologist, as well as a person who stutters. Dr. Blanchet’s research examines students’ perceptions of speakers who stutter and/or clutter, as well as the effects of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) on speech production in persons with Parkinson’s disease. Future research projects will incorporate physiological measures to more fully assess listeners’ reactions to listening to stuttered speech.

Nan Bernstein Ratner (CCC-SLP, F-ASHA, BCS-CLD) is a Professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Ratner’s  primary areas of research are fluency development and disorder, psycholinguistics and the role of adult input and interaction in child language development. The author of numerous research articles, chapters and edited texts, she is the co-author of A Handbook on Stuttering (6th ed) with the late Oliver Bloodstein, as well as The Development of Language (7th ed) and Psycholinguistics (2nd ed.), both with Jean Berko Gleason.Her work in stuttering has focused particularly on the role of language formulation in the etiology and persistence of stuttering, the efficacy of advisement to parents of stuttering children, and the application of evidence-based practice to stuttering treatment. In 2014, in recognition of her work in these areas, she was named a recipient of the Honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, as well as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2006, Professor Bernstein Ratner received the Distinguished Researcher award from the International Fluency Association.

Michael P. Boyle, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Montclair State University in New Jersey, U.S. As a person who stutters, he realizes the negative impact that stigma can have on social participation and psychological well-being. Because of this, he has focused his research on understanding, evaluating, and treating public and self-stigma in individuals who stutter. His research has been published in a variety of leading journals, and presented internationally. Dr. Boyle’s research program has been consistently funded over the past several years. He currently serves as a member of the National Stuttering Association Research Committee. He teaches graduate courses in fluency disorders and research methods, and undergraduate courses in anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing.

Jaqueline Carmona works as a lecturer in fluency disorders at the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Health School in Higher Education at Acoitão which she combines with her clinical work. Clinically she focuses on screening, diagnosis and treatment of stuttering  at PIN – Progresso Infantil in Portugal. She also gives workshops on fluency disorders for SLTs, but also for other professionals, teachers, kindergarden educators among others. ​ She attended the European Clinical Specialization in Fluency Disorders – ECSF  in 2009.​ ​At this moment she is in her 3rd year of her PhD. at Catholic University in Lisbon – Health Sciences Institute researching stuttering disorders.​

Geoffrey A. Coalson, PhD, CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  He earned an MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University and PhD in Speech-Language Pathology from The University of Texas at Austin and doctoral alumnus of the Lang Stuttering Institute.  His research focus is the contribution of phonological, phonetic, and linguistic factors to stuttering in children and adults.  Specific research interests include differences in working memory skills and word-learning abilities in adults who do and do not stutter.  Dr. Coalson also teaches introductory and intensive courses in Fluency Disorders at LSU, serves as chapter leader for the New Orleans and Baton Rouge chapters of the National Stuttering Association (NSA), and is an active member of the neighboring Lafayette NSA chapter.

Brent A. Gregg, Ph.D. received his B.A. from Hendrix College and the University of London, where he majored in English.  He completed his Master’s of Speech-Language Pathology from UCA and worked as a speech-language pathologist until 2000, when he began his doctoral wor k in speech pathology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  Specializing in early childhood stuttering / fluency disorders, he received his doctorate in 2003 from the University of Illinois, where he was a part of the NIH-funded Stuttering Research Program. Dr. Gregg began working at UALR/UAMS in the Department of Speech Pathology, where he founded and directed the Arkansas Center for Stuttering Research and Treatment.  He returned to UCA in the summer of 2008, where he now serves as associate professor of communication sciences and disorders and as director of the UCA Stuttering Center.  Dr. Gregg teaches the graduate course in fluency disorders, as well as the graduate courses in articulation/phonological disorders, voice disorders, and counseling.  He is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Special Interest Division in Fluency Disorders, the International Fluency Association, and is involved with the Stuttering Foundation of America and the National Stuttering Association.  Dr. Gregg recently spent time at the Michael Palin Stammering Centre in London, England and Oxford University as a visiting researcher and conference presenter (Oxford Dysfluency Conference).  He has presented on the epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of fluency disorders at state, national, and international conventions.  Most recently, Dr. Gregg partnered with Vanderbilt University and the Stuttering Foundation of America to offer a series of webinars on various issues related to pediatric stuttering.  Currently, Dr. Gregg is researching the epidemiological factors of early childhood stuttering, including risk factors for developing persistent stuttering and spontaneous recovery from stuttering.  Clinical research in the Center is focusing on the role of the parents in stuttering treatment and the assessment and treatment of the beneath the surface factors involved in stuttering (i.e., psychosocial components).

Heather Grossman, PhD, CCC-SLP is the Director at the American Institute for Stuttering in New York, NY. She has worked with children and adults who stutter for over 25 years and was among the first select group of speech-language pathologists to receive board recognition as a specialist in the treatment of fluency disorders from ASHA. Heather is an extremely active presenter at stuttering self-help conferences, and presents regularly at both national and international professional conferences. She is regularly called upon as an expert reference for journalistic coverage of stuttering and has appeared on numerous radio and television broadcasts, including the CBS Morning Show and Katie. Dr. Grossman has extensive experience as a teacher, researcher, and clinician. Before joining AIS, she was the clinical services coordinator at Hofstra University and an adjunct professor at Long Island University, Mercy College, and Queens College. In addition to fluency disorders, her teaching and clinical experience has focused on childhood language and learning disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and language development. Heather received her doctorate degree in 2008 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she investigated voluntary stuttering.

Dan Hudock, Ph.D., Certificate of Clinical Competence of Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), is an Assistant Professor at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, USA. As a person who stutters himself, he is very passionate about fluency disorders and helping those with fluency disorders. One aspect of his research interests resides in exploring effective collaborations between Speech-Language Pathologists and Mental Health Counselors for the treatment of people who stutter. He is also Director of the Northwest Center for Fluency Disorders, which hosts a two-week summer intensive clinic. For more information about research, clinical, or support opportunities please visit http://www.northwestfluency.org/.

Farzan Irani, PhD., CCC-SLP is an assistant professor is the Department of Communication Disorders at Texas State University where he teaches graduate courses in stuttering, research methods, and motor speech disorders. His research interests are in the psychosocial aspects of stuttering, specifically listener reactions to stuttering, and treatment effectiveness for adolescents and adults who stutter. He currently directs the Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy Program (CSTP) for Adolescents and Adults at Texas State University, which includes a summer intensive clinic and regular follow-up through the academic year via telepractice (online).

Dr. Joe Kalinowski is a professor and researcher in the field of stuttering at East Carolina University. He received a master’s degree from Northeastern University and his doctorate degree from the University of Connecticut, during which he conducted research at Haskins Laboratories. Dr. Kalinowski is widely published in the field of fluency disorders in both peer-reviewed journals and in popular media where he has recounted his own problems with stuttering and available treatment options for stutterers. In addition, he is a co-inventor of the SpeechEasy device, an effective tool for the inhibition and management of stuttering.

Walt Manning is a professor in the School of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at The University of Memphis.  He teaches courses in fluency disorders and evaluating research. He has published more than 100 articles in a variety of professional journals and has presented on many occasions to regional, national, and international audiences. He is an editorial consultant for several professional journals and ad hoc associate editor for the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Since 1997 he has been an Associate Editor for The Journal of Fluency Disorders. He is a Board Recognized Specialist in Fluency Disorders, a fellow of ASHA and has received the honors of the Tennessee Association of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists. The third edition of his text Clinical Decision Making in Fluency Disorders was published by Delmar|Cengage Learning in 2010.

Gunars K. Neiders, Ph.D. Elec. Eng., Psy. D. He is the author of the dissertation entitled “Theoretical Development of a Proposed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Based Model to Treat Persons with Chronic Perseverative Stuttering Syndrome” and book “From Stuttering to Fluency: Manage Your Emotions and Live More Fully”. His experience as a person who stutters, a licensed psychologist in private practice in Washington State in U.S.A. and stuttering coach over Skype resulted in the paper “Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy of Stuttering via Skype: Case Series Studies” presented at the International Fluency Association 8th World Congress in Lisbon, Portugal, July 6-8, 2015. Dr. Neiders also works part time training Psychology Doctorate students.

Dr. Scott Palasik has been a Certified Speech-Language Pathologist for fifteen years. He’s an Assistant Professor at the University of Akron (UA) where he teaches graduate Fluency Disorders course (on campus and distance learning), Voice Disorders and Cleft Palate, and Support Systems for Families and Individuals with Communication Disorders, along with supervising graduate students in clinical Education. He also is the director of the Mindfulness ACT Somatic Stuttering Lab, and performs research with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), unconscious and conscious attitudes about stuttering, and environmental and social effects pertaining to dysphagia. He has presented at many local, regional, state, and national conventions about Mindfulness and ACT. He has been a member of the ACBS (Association of Contextual Behavioral Sciences) for eight years and is the President of the Ohio ACBS Chapter. He is also the co-founder of the UA Campus walk for Suicide Prevention.

Jean Sawyer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an associate professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Illinois State University.  She received her doctorate at the University of Illinois under the mentorship of Ehud Yairi.  She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in fluency, and serves as a consultant to speech-language pathologists who treat stuttering.  The Illinois State chapter of the National Stuttering Association is a registered student organization, and Jean has helped organize it and is a co-chapter leader. Her research is in the characteristics of disfluencies, the distribution of disfluencies in stuttered speech, and treatment efficacy.

Vivian Sisskin, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCS-F is a clinical professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland. She is an ASHA Fellow and Board Certified Specialist in Fluency and Fluency Disorders. She served as Coordinator for ASHA’s Special Interest Group 4 (Fluency and Fluency Disorders), and received ASHA’s Media Champion award. Sisskin served on the Board of Directors of the National Stuttering Association and the American Board on Fluency and Fluency Disorders. She is a faculty member for the Stuttering Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic Workshop and serves as book review editor for the Journal of Fluency Disorders. Her articles, workshops and DVDs cover treatment for stuttering, principles of group therapy, atypical speech fluency disorders, and communication strategies for children with autism. She is the owner of the Sisskin Stuttering Center in the Washington DC metro area.

John A. Tetnowski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is the Blanco Endowed Professor in Communicative Disorders at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.  He is a Board Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders and has worked clinically for over 25 years with people who stutter and their families.  He was the National Stuttering Association’s Speech-Language Pathologist in 2006 and was named an ASHA Fellow in 2013.  He has authored over 70 manuscripts on stuttering, assessment procedures, and research methodologies.  He has presented information on stuttering at numerous conferences, conventions and workshops throughout North America and on four continents.  His primary interest in fluency is how people who stutter get better.  He serves on the National Stuttering Association’s Research Committee, serves on the Steering Committee for ASHA’s Special Interest Group on Fluency and Fluency Disorders, and mentors master’s, doctoral, and upcoming specialists in fluency disorders.

Dale F. Williams, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BRS-FD is a Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Director of the Fluency Clinic at Florida Atlantic University. In addition, he is a consultant for Language Learning Intervention and Professional Speech Services.  A board certified specialist in fluency, Dr. Williams served as Chair of the Specialty Board on Fluency Disorders from 2008 to 2010. He has coordinated the Boca Raton chapter of the National Stuttering Association since 1996. His publications include the books Stuttering Recovery: Personal and Empirical Perspectives (Psychology Press), Communication Sciences and Disorders: An Introduction to the Professions (Psychology Press), and the soon-to-be-released Exploring Stuttering: How One Man Used Comedy to Come to Terms with His Impairment (The Brainary), co-authored with Jaik Campbell.

J. Scott Yaruss, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-FD, ASHA Fellow, is an associate professor and director of the Master’s Degree programs in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh. His research examines methods for evaluating treatment outcomes in people who stutter. He has published more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and nearly 100 other articles, papers, and chapters on stuttering. He is author, co-author, or editor of several booklets, books, and brochures on stuttering, including the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES; Pearson) as well as School-age Stuttering Therapy: A Practical Guide and the Minimizing Bullying for Children Who Stutter series (Stuttering Therapy Resources, Inc.).

Jianliang (Albert) Zhang, PhD was born and raised up in China. He has suffered from stuttering from childhood; but China, at that time, did not have any speech pathologist, and he never heard about such a profession until many years later. In 2003 he became China’s first person who stutters to be fitted with a SpeechEasy. A new world opened for him – he left his country and started the PhD program in speech pathology, and served as editor for One Voice of International Stuttering Association for years. Currently Dr. Zhang works as an assistant professor in the program of communication disorders at North Carolina Central University. His research has a focus on the social-cultural aspects of stuttering. In his spare time, he likes to read, hike, play the ancient game of Go, as well as many other hobbies.