SITUATION
Research tells us stuttering support group attendance positively influences self-esteem and self-acceptance, while reducing self-stigma and helping PWS (person who stutters) view fluency as less of a goal. Sadly, participation in in-person and online stuttering support groups is severely lacking.
It’s widely accepted that 1% of adults stutter. Current research from
Max Gattie, PhD student and PWS, estimates that 0.1% of adults who stutter participate in the stuttering community. Which means,
99% of adults who stutter DO NOT PARTICIPATE in the stuttering community.
This WSCO session was designed to generate ideas for increasing stuttering support group attendance.
process
WSCO session attendees formed small breakout groups to discuss stuttering support group issues.
One group discussed ways to better promote upcoming meetings and how to lead better meetings.
Another group discussed ideas to overcome someone’s feelings of shame, fear and stigma when considering going to a meeting.
The last group discussed what happens when someone goes online to find a local stuttering support group.
ONE-PAGE SUMMARY
The session generated a voluminous amount of really smart ideas to increase stuttering support group attendance and participation. We tried our best to recap the ideas into a one-page summary. Download the summary below, but find the time to read trough ALL the ideas shared on this website.

Three Big Ideas
The following are three big ideas the WSCO breakout groups identified as being opportunity areas to increase stuttering support group attendance.

The “Support Group” label can be off-putting to many adults who stutter considering attending a meeting. Session attendees talked about how the stigma associated with attending a support group is strong. The recommendation is to focus on how the group builds community and friendships by bringing people who stutter together. Call it a Social Group and not a Support Group.
During meetings, people socialize and have fun. It’s an enjoyable time for people who stutter. It’s more a social gathering than a support group. This simple wording change helps to “normalize” and de-stigmatize monthly support group meetings.
Make your meetings even more social by having it at a restaurant or at fun gathering spot. If you host meetings in an office room, encourage attendees to bring food and drinks.

Some session attendees went online to search for a stuttering support group. They found that most online mentions of support groups only included text with information about the group (location, day, time, etc.). This didn’t motivate them to think the group would be worthwhile to attend.
The recommendation is to share more than just text online. Share photos of people who attend local meetings because seeing someone who looks like you, will give you greater confidence in attending. Share video of people so potential attendees can see and hear stuttering voices.
Find inspiration from the websites the
Portland, OR group and
Greenville, SC group use to promote their monthly meetings. Both of these groups are local chapters from the
National Stuttering Association.

In the discussion about how to promote upcoming meetings, attendees stressed the importance of sending multiple reminders in multiple ways.
Send a series of emails to the group starting a few weeks out from the next meeting. Use social media to promote meetings and encourage people to share it online. Create a flyer and post it at local universities, share the flyer with local SLPs, and post it online as a graphic. Call or text people who haven’t attended recently.
You can never over-communicate upcoming meetings. And, be sure to communicate recaps after every meeting so that people can learn what they missed by not attending.

Recaps from Breakout Groups
Attendees in the session were divided into three breakout groups. Each group had 30 minutes to do an individual exercise and then share their ideas within the group. The following are recaps from the breakout groups.