SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young

Donate

Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions for Speech Therapy, and our Confident Voices After-School & Weekend Program below. For more information about Camp SAY, please visit CampSAY.org.

Speech Therapy FAQ

What benefits can I expect from SAY’s Speech Therapy program?

Although the benefits that each child receives are largely determined by their individual therapy goals, children and teens can expect to enjoy enhanced confidence, greater independence, increased school participation, and very importantly – the ability to most effectively advocate for themselves. Children and teens that participate in group therapy sessions also develop important new friendships.

What Is SAY’s speech therapy philosophy?

SAY uses a comprehensive approach that incorporates physical strategies to make talking easier, as well as education, fear reduction, counseling, and parent/family involvement.

What are the goals of therapy?

SAY believes that children benefit from a fully customized approach to speech therapy. During an initial consultation, our speech-language pathologist – who has extensive experience working with children who stutter – creates specific therapy goals with each child and their parents. Many families come into therapy with the goal of 100% fluency. While this can be difficult for some to achieve, by examining current stuttering behaviors, the stuttering frequency can be reduced and associated struggles can be eliminated.

SAY’s speech therapy helps each child develop healthy attitudes and feelings about speaking, reduces situational and word fears, enhances a child’s ability to communicate, and increases their knowledge about stuttering. While each child grows in unique ways during therapy, SAY helps young people who stutter discover that stuttering doesn’t have to define them or hold them back from being effective communicators.

My child has received speech therapy in school. Will this be any different?

SAY’s speech therapy is a little different than other therapy options because SAY specializes in stuttering. Speech-language pathologists are trained in a vast number of disorders. However, many speech therapists have limited experience working with children who stutter due to the fairly low incidence of stuttering in general. To ensure that your child is receiving the best treatment, we recommend finding a speech-language pathologist who specializes in the affective, behavioral, and cognitive areas of stuttering.

Who will be providing the therapy?

SAY’s speech therapy is provided by board-certified speech-language pathologists who specialize in stuttering therapy. Our Director of SAY: Speech is Brooke Leiman Edwards, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, a board-certified specialist in stuttering who has over 13 years of experience directing a stuttering clinic and volunteering in the stuttering community. Brooke joined SAY in 2022 with a passion for empowering children and teens to be confident, effective communicators – a vision she shared with the organization. Brooke has dedicated her career to immersing herself in learning more about stuttering, both by staying up to date with evidence-based practice and, more importantly, by learning from her clients and those in the stuttering support community. Understanding the importance of sharing knowledge with the key people in a child’s life, Brooke has provided information and support to parents and teachers and continuing education and mentorship to fellow speech-language pathologists who want to learn more about stuttering and stuttering therapy.

Brooke currently holds two elected volunteer positions on committees devoted to stuttering through the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), both of which aim to promote research, education, and support to ensure that people who stutter receive the best services to improve their quality of life. She strongly believes that there are several different avenues a child who stutters can take to foster their confidence and build resilience – speech therapy is just one of them.

Brooke is proud to join SAY and to be a part of an organization that provides so many resources for children who stutter and their families.

Where are the sessions located?

Group and individual sessions are held at the SAY main office in New York City (Times Square area) at 333 West 39th Street, Suite 604, New York, NY 10018.

Teletherapy sessions are also available for those who reside outside the New York area.

How long is each session?

Individual session times vary depending on age. Pre-schoolers are typically seen for 30 minutes. School-age children and teens are typically seen for 45-50 minutes. Group sessions meet for 60 minutes.

Speech therapy can get expensive. Do you have financial aid?

SAY is committed to providing the highest level of speech therapy at an affordable price. SAY wants to ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive speech therapy by a stuttering specialist, regardless of financial status, so we offer sliding scale rates.

Do you accept health insurance?

SAY does not accept health insurance, but we do encourage parents to submit a therapy invoice to their insurance provider. Some companies will reimburse treatment costs, depending on the plan’s coverage. SAY also offers need-based financial aid.

For more information or if you have added questions?  Please submit an inquiry or contact Brooke Leiman Edwards MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-F at 646.403.3519 or Brooke@SAY.org, who will answer any questions you may have and schedule a consultation, if desired.

Confident Voices After-School & Weekend Program FAQ

What benefits can I expect my child to receive from SAY’s Confident Voices After-School & Weekend program?

Children and teens receive so many important benefits from our After-School & Weekend program, including enhanced confidence, new friendships, greater independence, increased school participation, and very importantly, young people learn how to most effectively advocate for themselves!

Is there a fee to enroll in SAY’s Confident Voices After-School & Weekend Program?

NO. Each of our After-School & Weekend programs is offered FREE of charge.

My child is not interested in performing.  Do they have to participate in the final presentation?

Each child or teen decides the level at which they wish to participate in all aspects of our programming. Some children want to appear on center stage, while others may opt for an important behind-the-scenes role – with each choice being meaningful and empowering.

Do many children return to the Confident Voices program?

The benefits that children and teens receive from our Confident Voices After-School & Weekend program are so profound that 80% choose to enroll for another season. Many children remain in the SAY After-School & Weekend program until they turn 18, and then continue to be a part of the SAY “family” as program mentors.

What types of resources are provided for the parents of Confident Voices After-School & Weekend program participants?

When your child joins the After-School & Weekend program you will be welcomed into a dynamic community of parents. We offer a monthly parent education series designed to forge strong relationships among families so you may access and share information about a broad range of topics. Our parent community is a powerful support system and a safe place for families to learn more about stuttering and how best to support their children.

How do I learn about Confident Voices program dates?

Click here for dates and information about SAY’s Confident Voices program sessions.

 

What are the ages of children in the Confident Voices After-School & Weekend Program?

SAY’s Confident Voices welcomes young people who stutter, ages 8-18. Participants are teamed-up with peers in their own age groups. Confident Voices programming also incorporates an important mentoring component with teens working with younger children to help them build confidence and communication skills.

How do I enroll my child in the Confident Voices After-School & Weekend program?

You can begin the enrollment process online by clicking here. For more details or to ask additional questions, please contact our Confident Voices team:

Can SAY present at my child’s school for students and/or teachers?

Absolutely. SAY is committed to educating schools and communities about stuttering and we offer a variety of options tailored for each type of audience.

Do you have additional questions or want more information about SAY Programs?

Please submit an inquiry or contact Travis Robertson, Vice President of SAY & Director of Camp SAY at Travis@SAY.org or 646.403.3516.

 We envision a world where every voice matters.

We envision a world where every voice matters.

Help us make it happen

Sign up for our Newsletter