The Speech Language Pathologists at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center (CHSC) are experts with children and teenagers who stutter.  As defined by The Stuttering Foundation, “Stuttering is a communication disorder in which the flow of speech is broken by repetitions (li-li-like this), prolongations (lllllike this), or abnormal stoppages (no sound) of sounds and syllables”. Over 3 million Americans stutter, including well known people such as Ed Sheeran, Emily Blunt, Darren Sproles, and Tiger Woods. CHSC has developed a therapy program called FACEtime: Fluency Attitude and Communication Effectiveness.  FACEtime is a program designed for older children and young teens who stutter and want to communicate more fluently and confidently.

Children and teens in the FACEtime program participate in three individualized therapy sessions per month targeting their individual goals. At the end of the month, they attend one group session with everyone enrolled in the FACEtime program. The group session allows participants the opportunity to practice their fluency strategies in real-life situations. The group has taken outings to get ice cream, go bowling, and order food from a restaurant. Parent education and coaching is incorporated into each session. Teens who have been involved in FACEtime said “It is so much fun… I have learned a lot from the group and love meeting other kids who stutter… I feel more confident when I talk and I’m not afraid to stutter anymore.”  Please contact CHSC at 216-231-8787 if you know a child or teenager who may benefit from some FACEtime!