"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 Programâ„¢, 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.