That all changed for Taylor in 2009 after participating in an intensive stuttering treatment program at the Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI – www.stuttering.org ) in Roanoke, Virginia. She spent 100 hours over 12 days retraining faulty speech muscle behaviors that cause stuttering with new muscle activities that generate fluent speech. For the first time in her life, Taylor was able to control her stuttering and speak fluently.  

 

“When I graduated from college a little more than a year ago, I knew I needed to make fluency a priority in my life if I was going to achieve my full potential,” she said. Taylor was employed by DuPont while she attended college and wanted to position herself upon graduation for greater responsibility with the company. She researched different stuttering therapy programs and enrolled in HCRI’s stuttering treatment because “the therapy is designed to work in the real world – and that’s exactly what I needed.”

 

It didn’t take long for Taylor’s newly acquired speech skills to begin opening doors of opportunity. When she returned from therapy to her job as an administrative assistant at the DuPont Spruance site, she was approached by management to serve as co-chair of the Spruance Women’s Network. The network is an organization dedicated to collaboration, community service and outreach.  With new fluency skills that gave her new-found confidence, she seized the opportunity. Taylor and her co-chair, Pam Johnson, immediately got to work and expanded membership across all levels of DuPont and extended the number of nonprofit organizations the network served.

 

“The new role I played required me to speak in front of management and staff on a regular basis. I would have never been able to do that before going through HCRI stuttering treatment. Now I consider public speaking opportunities a chance to put my fluency skills to the test and help make a difference in the lives of others,” Taylor explained.

 

In the past year, the Spruance Women’s Network led successful drives to benefit the Central Virginia Food Bank, Coats for Kids, Richmond’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and a center for battered women. In addition, the organization participated in science events at Chesterfield County Schools and organized walks for the American Heart Association and the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. Outside of work, Taylor gives her time to help Junior Achievement, YMCA, Rebuilding Together Richmond, and Special Olympics.

 

“Learning to speak fluently whenever and wherever I choose has changed my life. HCRI’s stuttering therapy was hard work and it takes daily practice. Yet, it has made a remarkable difference in what I can do every day.” she said.

 

Taylor is engaged in one additional volunteer initiative that is close to her heart – helping other people who stutter. Upon completion of her stuttering therapy in 2009, she organized a fluency practice group for HCRI therapy participants across the U.S. Each week she teams up with fellow HCRI program graduate Jay Johnson and moderates weekly speech practice sessions via conference call.

 

For her leadership and dedication to volunteerism, Taylor has been nominated to receive the Chesterfield Public Education Foundation’s Bravo! Award. The award recognizes people who have made remarkable contributions to their professions and communities. She will find out if she receives the honor this spring.

About Stuttering

 

According to the National Institutes of Health, there are 66 million people worldwide and three million in the U.S who suffer from stuttering. Stuttering occurs when speech muscles inappropriately contract and “jump out of control” during attempts to speak. The speech condition can severely damage self-esteem and inhibit people’s ability to reach their full potential.  

 

“Stuttering is deeply misunderstood, with many believing that persons who stutter are less intelligent or have mental problems. That couldn’t be further from the truth,” said HCRI Founder Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D.  “People who stutter are like everyone else; they just have a physical condition that gets in the way of their ability to talk fluently.”  

 

A study released in February 2010 by the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders found three mutated genes linked to stuttering. This genetic connection dispels theories that the condition is caused by stress or emotional issues. HCRI was one of the organizations that participated in this groundbreaking study by conducting stuttering evaluations on most of the participants.  In addition, HCRI research with more than 5,700 people who stutter has strongly indicated that stuttering is a physical condition that can be successfully treated with physically based therapy that helps people retrain speech muscles to produce fluent speech.  

 

There are a wide range of approaches to treat stuttering, with the most common being weekly visits with a speech therapist designed to lessen speech disfluencies.  According to Webster, this non-systematic approach is only effective 25 percent of the time. In contrast, research shows 93 percent of HCRI clients attain normal fluency by the end of treatment and 70 to 75% retain fluent speech for the long term.

About HCRI

 

Hollins Communications Research Institute, founded in 1972 by Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D., has grown into a world-leading center for the investigation and treatment of stuttering. The 501 (c) (3) nonprofit institute is unique from other stuttering organizations in that work focuses on developing scientifically based treatment methods, as well as administering stuttering therapy.

 

HCRI offers 17 stuttering therapy programs annually and has treated more than 5,700 people from across the U.S. and 23 other countries. Clients include John Stossel of Fox News; Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons; and Annie Glenn, wife of Senator and Astronaut John Glenn. HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive, Roanoke, Virginia, 24019. For more information, visit www.stuttering.org . Contact HCRI at admin@stuttering.org or 540-265-5650.

"They call on a regular basis," said Candy Smith. "But people wanted to make sure we'd heard."

Smith, a nurse, is one of two clinicians at Hollins Communications Research Institute, an internationally recognized leader in stuttering research and therapy located across from Walrond Park in Roanoke County.

The institute, which is most commonly called HCRI, was founded in 1972 by Ronald Webster, who at the time was a psychology professor at Hollins University. He remains a professor emeritus with the university, but devotes his time as president of HCRI.

"This is the first time a genetic linkage has been found," he said about the research, which was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine on Feb. 10. "For years we've known it tends to run in families. A little more than half [of people who stutter] can point to someone in their family background. … Really this research is pretty much a breakthrough."

So, yes, the workers at HCRI had heard about the latest findings, and were celebrating.

"The more times that people can understand that science is really important in treating people who stutter, the better," said LuAnn Yates, a speech pathologist and the other HCRI clinician.

For Shannon Taylor of McKenny, who attended HCRI in 2003 and again in 2009, the research findings offered hope.

"There is an incorrect status or impression people have that folks who stutter are dumb, just that they cannot hold down a good job, and that is so far from the truth," said Taylor, 33. "To see that there is an actual connection there, just that you are not dumb, that there is a root cause that can be addressed at some point … I guess that brings excitement, because once you have a cause then you have something to work toward for a cure."

Currently there isn't a cure for stuttering, which affects about 1 percent of the population. The research did point to a possible enzyme treatment for stuttering someday.

"While this study is the first to identify specific genes associated with stuttering, the findings apply to about 5 percent of the total cases studied," Dr. Jody Hershey, a member of the HCRI board of directors, said in an e-mail. "There is much more to be learned here; however, the door to further discoveries has been opened."

But for now, the focus at HCRI is on teaching skills and techniques to improve speech.

HCRI has developed an intense 12-day therapy course to teach people how to control their voice, respiration and facial muscles so they can speak without stuttering. It's not the only treatment available, but it is one that is widely known among people who stutter.

Nearly 5,800 people have gone through the HCRI treatment, traveling from 23 countries and all 50 states. HCRI has helped famous people such as TV journalist John Stossel and Annie Glenn, wife of astronaut and former U.S. Sen. John Glenn.

"People from all walks of life in all 50 states know exactly where Roanoke, Virginia, is because of what we do," Yates said. "And yet there are people down Plantation Road who don't know we are here."

Hershey, who is the health director of the New River Health District and a graduate of the HCRI therapy course, said the institute has had a major influence on stuttering research.

"I'm not sure that many people in the Roanoke Valley are aware of HCRI's national and international accomplishments and successes," he said.

…Click here to read the rest of the article at roanoke.com.

The study was headed by Dr. Dennis Drayna of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), located in Bethesda, Maryland. According to HCRI Founder and President Dr. Ronald L. Webster, the research demonstrates, for the first time, that a specific genetic linkage has been discovered within related family members who stutter. Three genes have been identified that deal with mechanisms within cells that break down and recycle metabolic products in key regions of the brain.

“While these findings are exciting, they apply only to about five percent of people who stutter,” Webster noted. “There is much more work to be completed before we have a clear picture of the extent to which genes play a role in stuttering.”

An estimated 66 million people worldwide suffer from the effects of stuttering, with three million living in the U.S, according to NIDCD. The condition can impair social growth, hinder educational and career aspirations, and produce emotional scars that may last a lifetime.

Roanoke-based HCRI (www.stuttering.org) was selected to participate in the NIDCD research project because the center’s work focuses on developing objective, physically based methods for the analysis and treatment of stuttering. Over the past 37 years, HCRI scientists have studied thousands of people who stutter, aged 10 to 73, representing an extensive range of stuttering types and severities.

Nearly 5,800 people from 24 countries have participated in HCRI’s stuttering treatment, which helps people learn how to replace faulty muscle activities that cause stuttering with new muscle behaviors that product lasting fluency. The center’s research shows that 93 percent of clients achieve normal fluency by the end of their 12-day intensive stuttering therapy program. Follow-up studies reveal 70 to 75% retain fluency for the long term.

When asked how the discovery of the genetic link to stuttering might be relevant to the stuttering treatment program developed and administered at HCRI, Webster said that it is too early to determine the potential impact. “However, as our work progresses, we may find that only those stutterers who have related stuttering family members, and who also have extreme difficulty in learning fluency skills in therapy, may be carrying the critical genes,” he explained. 

Webster also noted that, at some future time, it might be possible to develop treatments for a small number of stutterers that would involve adding specific enzymes to their blood stream in order to improve cellular metabolic functions within the brain.

HCRI will again play a role in the next series of stuttering studies by the NIDCD. “There is potential for terrific discoveries in the forthcoming research,” Webster added.

About HCRI

Hollins Communications Research Institute (www.stuttering.org), founded in 1972 by Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D., is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit center headquartered at 7851 Enon Drive, Roanoke, Virginia 24019. HCRI scientists pioneered the concept and development of physically based stuttering therapy. The center holds 17 intensive 12-day stuttering treatment programs annually.

Clients include John Stossel of Fox News; Arthur Blank, cofounder of Home Depot; and Annie Glenn, wife of senator and astronaut John Glenn. HCRI is located at 7851 Enon Drive, Roanoke, Virginia, 24019. Contact HCRI at admin@stuttering.org or 540-265-5650. For video speech samples and more information, visit www.stuttering.org .

As participants in an HCRI stuttering treatment program, they chose to spend two weeks leading up to Christmas in intensive therapy working eight to ten hours a day-rather than partaking in holiday festivities and shopping trips. For these individuals, experiencing the joy of speaking smoothly and spontaneously is the best possible gift to receive for the holidays.

According to therapy participant and college student Kevin McAlpine of Arlington Heights, Illinois, HCRI's stuttering treatment was "hard work but extremely worth it." The December timing of therapy was ideal for McAlpine. He scheduled an interview immediately following his treatment program with an admissions representative of a prestigious college where he would like to transfer. He needed to complete the interview before the school closed for the holidays.

"I had a severe case of stuttering before coming to HCRI. The condition is degrading and extremely challenging. My stuttering affected me socially and I was afraid to talk to people. Now, I can speak fluently for the first time in my life," McAlpine said.

The physical capability to speak fluently is something that most people take for granted. Yet, three million people in the U.S. and 66 million worldwide live each day with a stuttering condition that serves as a barrier to education, social and career opportunities. Stuttering occurs when speech muscles inappropriately contract and "jump out of control" with too much force and abruptness during attempts to speak. Markers of stuttering include repetitions of sounds, syllables and words; prolongations of first sounds in syllables; and voice blockage when trying to talk.

There is no cure for stuttering; though, therapy can help. To treat the disorder, there are a wide range of approaches with the most common based on counseling to modify speech disfluencies. "Unfortunately, this non-systematic approach is only effective among 25 percent of those treated," said nationally recognized stuttering expert Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D., HCRI founder. "Additionally, the stuttering devices that have garnered recent media attention typically work in just 20 to 25 percent of cases."

In contrast, research shows 93 percent of HCRI clients attain fluent speech by the end of their 12-day treatment program. Follow-up studies indicate 70-75% retain fluency for the long term.

McAlpine, who is an aspiring writer and interested in politics, had six years of speech therapy in his home town while growing up. "For all those years, I went to speech therapy one day a week and it helped me a little bit. But the intensive regime at HCRI and the therapy tools they use are what it took to retrain my speech muscles to speak fluently," he explained.

"At HCRI, we address and treat the physical aspects of stuttering because research has shown us that stuttering is a physically based condition," said Webster. "We teach people skills that put them in full control of the speech. That's why our therapy participants achieve long-lasting fluency outcomes."

During treatment, HCRI clinicians teach clients how to replace distorted muscle contractions that occur with stuttering with new behaviors called "targets" that generator fluent speech. By reconstructing muscle actions that drive movements of the tongue, lip, jaw, soft palette, and breathing mechanisms, individuals who stutter learn how to speak fluently. Similar to other muscle-building and skill-training activities, through intensive practice muscle memory occurs, enabling clients to maintain fluent speech for a lifetime.

In addition, HCRI researchers have created new ways to use technology in therapy to make fluency skills easier to learn and therapy more interesting for clients. Specialized electronics developed at HCRI, including a Voice Monitor application for Apple's iPhone, provide accurate feedback to clients during the learning of fluency targets.

"The technology used during HCRI therapy made a huge difference. The computer tools provided clear, precise feedback about my speech and signaled whenever I needed to make adjustments," McAlpine added.

The non-profit Institute offers 17 stuttering therapy programs annually and has treated nearly 5,800 people from across the U.S. and 23 other countries. For more information, visit www.stuttering.org or contact HCRI at 540-265-5650.

 

Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI) was founded in 1972 as a non-profit center dedicated to the analysis and treatment of stuttering. HCRI's founder and director, Dr. Ronald L. Webster, has pioneered work in the development of objectively defined, behaviorally-oriented stuttering therapy. HCRI developed and conducts the Hollins Fluency Program™, a highly effective 12-day treatment program for stuttering. This stuttering therapy is available 17 times a year, and is only performed at HCRI in Roanoke, Virginia. HCRI's research and treatment programs for stuttering have been featured in numerous publications and on television programs such as Nightline, 20/20, and How'd They Do That?

 

Our Staff
HCRI's staffconsists of full-time clinicians, researchers and support personel who specialize in the treatment of stuttering and in research on stuttering. Clinical staff members hold advanced credentials and have extensive experience in working with all levels of stuttering severity. Our four clinicians have a combined total of 66 years experience with the Hollins therapy.

Who's Attending HCRI?
Program participants include thousands of people ages 11 and up who have been denied countless opportunities because of this speech handicap. Most have tried other programs for stuttering without long-term success. The dedicated staff at HCRI has demonstrated that it does not have to be that way! Just take a look at the effect HCRI is having on real people just like yourself.

Our Facilities
The new HCRI building was designed and constructed specifically to facilitate therapy. Design features embodied within the structure foster individual learning of fluency skills and positive interactions between and among program participants.

Our Location
HCRI is located just outside of Roanoke, Virginia; hence, we don’t have traffic jams. However, we are close enough to have convenient access to restaurants, lodging, medical facilities, major shopping malls and the regional airport. Roanoke is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway and Smith Mountain Lake are among the many nearby scenic delights.

What Our Clients Say Over 5,500 people have completed our therapy program. It is an illuminating experience to attend our annual reunions and meet people who have been fluent speakers for the last 20 to 30 years. The HCRI experience has had a profound effect on so many of those who have attended:

	I was valedictorian of my high school senior class. My father had to read my commencement speech. I am in college now and I speak for my self and I do it fluently!
	I didn’t understand the idea of fluency targets at first. LuAnn was patient in explaining each target to me and made sure that I was practicing the right way. Finally I got it and I am a fluent person.
	I can say my name any time I want to!
	I work in a customer service center and handle lots of telephone calls every day. Without Hollins I could never have done it.
	I’m a computer programmer. The people at Hollins have done a terrific job of making computers work effectively to improve the quality of therapy. Their work with electronics in therapy is outstanding!! I love what they do!!
	My stuttering pattern was unusual, according to my old therapists who didn’t help me. At Hollins, they knew what to do about it and I speak fluently.
	Now I have real freedom of speech!
	When I first called HCRI, I stuttered badly during the call. After treatment, I called to thank them and spoke fluently.
	I wish I had done this years ago. The clinicians were outstanding!!!
	Ain’t nothin better–you can take it to the bank!!
	I’m eleven years old. When I was a small child I hated to go to school. I cried almost everyday before I went. The other kids teased me a lot because I stuttered. I went to Hollins and learned how to speak really well. Today I am going to school and I am going to read a story to my class.
	I got the job I wanted, now that I can talk and express my self easily.
	I joined Toastmasters and won a regional speaking event.
	After Hollins, I became involved in politics and successfully ran for office as a state legislator. Of course, my fluent speech made it all possible. Thanks HCRI.
	I was good at learning languages. However, I stuttered badly, so badly in fact, that I actually broke my teeth during several different bouts of stuttering. I became a corporate trouble shooter after learning how to speak fluently at HCRI.
	I tried other therapies. I thought HCRI probably did the same thing as other therapies. I finally woke up and decided to call Hollins. Now, after attending HCRI, I have the daily blessing of speech!

• Ground-Breaking Research to Find the Cause of Stuttering… that Could Lead to the Cure
• Innovations to Enhance Therapy Outcomes
• Increased Therapy Access to Serve More People and Transform Their Lives
• Give the Gift of Fluency

We cannot depend on government or foundation funds to advance our cause. It is going to take the enthusiasm and gifts of those who deeply care about stuttering to reach our goal. We are asking for individuals to support our Inventing the Future Campaign with a pledge for each of the next five years to the Annual Fund.

We will recognize donors who pledge $1,000+ annually for the next five years through membership in the Hollins Society. Contribution categories include:

• Founder: $10,000+
• Visionary: $5,000 to $9,999
• Champion: $2,500 to $4,999
• Partner: $1,000 to $2,499

• Leader: $500 to $999
• Patron: $250 to $499
• Benefactor: $100 to $249
• Donor: $1 to $99

Through generous, tax deductible gifts, HCRI will be able to launch into a new arena of discovery and capability – and help more people in more places than ever before possible. Please complete and submit the gift form on this page. Or, print out a copy of the pledge form by clicking here, and mail the completed form with your donation to:

Hollins Communications Research Institute
Inventing the Future Campaign
7851 Enon Drive
Roanoke, VA 24019

We will return a receipt to you for tax deduction purposes. Please call (540) 265-5650 if you have questions or need additional information.

Thank you for your support!

3.3 MILLION!

That’s the estimated number of stutterers in the United States alone. This means that people have been denied countless opportunities because of stuttering. HCRI has treated all levels of stuttering severity – from very mild to extremely severe. Our clients benefit from our substantial experience in working with many different manifestations of stuttering. We, most likely, have worked with stuttering that is similar to yours.

Among those who have sought help at HCRI are Annie Glenn, wife of U.S. Senator John Glenn, who was uncomfortable in public speaking situations; Lester Hayes of the Los Angeles Raiders, for whom postgame interviews were torture; and 20/20 Co-Anchor John Stossel, whose speech problem interfered with his career. Take a look at some alumni video footage:

Forging new ground in the treatment of stuttering, HCRI scientists have introduced the Hollins Fluency Program: Advanced Speech Reconstruction for Stuttering™, a powerful new 12-day stuttering therapy with advanced behavioral, electronic and computer technologies that significantly improve the learning and retention of fluent speech.

The Hollins Fluency Program helps people who stutter learn how to replace faulty muscle contractions that cause stuttering with new muscle behaviors that generate fluent speech.  By literally “reconstructing” muscle actions that drive movements of the tongue, lip, jaw, soft palette, and vocal folds, individuals who stutter can acquire and sustain the ability to speak fluently.

The entire process can be completed within 12 days of intensive therapy and fluency results are among the highest of any stuttering therapy available.

Researchers developed the Hollins Fluency Program after studying and treating more than 5,500 people who stutter, ranging in age from 10 to 73.

First, they incorporated new knowledge of muscle movement targets that actively generate fluent speech for each sound class in our language. These changes have strengthened the core of the therapy system. 

HCRI engineers also improved computer based training techniques through which fluency skills are learned.

These developments have made it easier for clients to understand, learn and maintain the details of muscle movements that produce fluent speech.  The new Hollins Fluency Program incorporates sophisticated performance tracking tools that evaluate stuttering therapy progress and individualized treatment needs.

Second, HCRI scientists invented new electronics for measuring speech muscle use in real time and for signaling to clients whether or not they are using their muscles correctly as they practice new fluency generating skills.

This new, acoustically based biofeedback system allows fluency skill production to be measured and proper guidance provided, even at normal speaking rates. This component of the therapy system prepares clients for transfer of their fluency skills to everyday speaking situations. A virtual transfer practice module facilitates the transition from fluency skill use in the clinic to fluency skill use in daily life.

Third, HCRI created the new Hollins Fluency Program using a web-based format. This means that the Institute now has the power to explore remote access, quality controlled treatment for stuttering anywhere there is an internet connection.

Click Here to view videos about the Hollins Fluency Program >>

The chart below illustrates the Hollins Fluency Program components and how they work together to help HCRI clients successfully acquire the ability to generate robust, fluent speech. To learn more, place your mouse over each therapy program element for additional information.

The HCRI scholarship program is designed to make effective stuttering therapy available to more people who suffer from the debilitating effects of stuttering.  Scholarships will be awarded based on financial need and designated to offset the cost of tuition to attend the Institute’s 12-day therapy program.

 

Funding for scholarships is made possible through the generosity of past clients who want to give the gift of fluency to others because HCRI’s therapy has made such a remarkable difference in their lives.

Scholarship awards will be selective and range from $500 to full tuition.  Recipients will be determined based on household income, number of dependents, and other financial circumstances.

How to Request a Scholarship

1) To apply for a scholarship, you must first complete a program application (below) to attend one of HCRI’s 17 annual stuttering therapy sessions.
 
2) Once you submit your program application, we will contact you about your participation and forward a scholarship application for you to complete.

3) Complete and return the scholarship application to HCRI.  We will review your information and advise you of your qualification for an award. 

If you have questions about HCRI’s scholarship program, or for information on available session dates, therapy fees and insurance requirements, call Linda Booth at 540-265-5650 any time Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (EST). or fill out our contact form.