We are a cross-sector collaborative. Some of us are people who stutter (PWS), members of provincial government, public-school teachers, speech-language pathologists (SLP), academics, university students, mental health professionals, disability advocates, and NLSA members. We are all brought together around a common goal to address the current needs of people who stutter in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We are guided by the following goals:

For People Who Stutter

To determine how many PWS live in NL. We currently do not know this basic fact about our province.
To understand what services are available for Preschoolers (1-5yrs.), school age (6-13yrs), adolescents and adults (14-85 plus) who stutter, and identify any gaps in this system.
To gage awareness of resources available to PWS.

For Service Providers

To assess needs and access to resources for SLPs, Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), Teachers, Guidance Counsellors, Health Clinicians, etc.

For Our Communities

To ask community members about their perceptions of stuttering and what role they may play in removing barriers for PWS.

This initiative involves the development of a series of short, accessible research surveys and participatory action events. Until we can get back to meeting in person we will gather information using accessible web surveys and Zoom interviews. When possible, we'll send volunteers in to communities to help distribute information about this project and recruit participants.

What will we do with our research results?

Survey data collected will be used as evidence to identify deficits in intensive / specialized programs and services. This will help identify / reduce / eliminate barriers to the existing, limited clinical programs, services and supports in NL. This data will be used to advocate for government funding to research and establish the identified needed intensive / specialized programs, services and supports for PWS in our province. We will also develop workshops/guides for participants to understand concealable social identities commonly held by PWS, and mental health concerns that often go along with them. SLPs, ECEs, PWS, and community members will develop skills to become aware of the role of stigma associated with non-standard ways of speaking.

We are able to survey English speaking individuals in NL and seek input from teachers, SLPs & service providers (School Board, Government, Eastern Health, Private), Early Childhood Educators, People Who Sutter, Families and friends of PWS. Our interest concerns all PWS in the province, including rural and remote areas. We invite, and will gladly collaborate with, those who have the ability to engage with speakers of languages other than English in our province.

Progress is already underway. Through online meetings and our email list (nlsacollaborative@mun.ca) we have discussed important issues in order to design an effective survey that meets our goals. A small grant through the Quick Start Fund from Memorial's Office of Public Engagement has allowed us to hire Luca Dinu, an undergraduate student, research assistant for Winter 2021. Luca will conduct a literature review on the practices of providing access to services for PWS. This will ultimately inform our own survey by highlighting themes and questions to ask our participants.

If you are able to join us, in solidarity, we would like to hear from you.

PWS, the general public, and health professionals (e.g. speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, medical doctors, nurses, etc.) were invited to participate in an online survey about their perception of PWS. We are now in the process of analyzing this data for scholarly dissemination. This study was also designed to share the results with the NLSA to help establish support and services for PWS, their families, and community in Newfoundland and Labrador.

On behalf of the research team, study participants, and members of the PWS community, we are pleased to present the short-documentary video, "Getting the Words Out”, that highlights lived experiences as a PWS. It is intended to serve as a digital and social media tool to raise public-awareness around stuttering and to promote the mandate of the NLSA: to provide "support, friendship, and information to the stuttering community, instilling a sense of self-worth, which is often missing in the lives of people who stutter.”

This short documentary video was nominated for Best Short Student Documentary at the Silver Wave Film Festival. We also met via Zoom to present and discuss the survey results with members of the NLSA.

We challenge you to Get the Word Out - dismantle and prevent social stigma around stuttering - by sharing this video! 

The USSIP funding and the research survey gave us a great start... but we feel it is just the beginning of a larger collboration.