Virtual Learning

Virtual Learning by The Stuttering Foundation is an online series of free, interactive workshops with a variety of offerings for speech-language pathologists, parents, and individuals who stutter.

The series includes monthly offerings ranging from clinical training opportunities, to parent education, to a platform for people who stutter of all ages to share their stories. Sessions are moderated by many of the world’s leading clinicians, researchers, and self-help advocates — bringing learning and collaboration to you.

Are you All Ears?: Active Mindful Listening for Ourselves and Others

Speakers: James Panico, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville; Scott Palasik, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, University of Akron

Date: January 22, 2025

Time: 6-7:30 pm (Eastern Time)

Click to Register

Description: Speech-language pathology has long valued the importance of listening as a foundation to counsel and connect with clients who stutter. Clinicians must be able to communicate effectively while respecting the needs, values, and cultural/linguistic background of their clients, family members, and caregivers. This experiential session will focus on mindful-active listening as a vital skill for therapists in cultivating client well-being. It will address empathic listening, the psychology behind listening, and practical and functional strategies for therapists to engage in listening to create effective communication between clients, families, and SLPs. Clinical examples provided will emphasize specific concepts.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

Explain the importance of active and effective listening skills to the profession of speech-language pathology.
Explain the importance of active and effective listening skills for client well-being.
Discuss strategies of active effective listening skills.

Details:

Target Audience: Speech-Language Pathologists, Graduate Students
There is no fee for this event.
*This course is not eligible for CEUs at this time
Please register if available for the live event only. A recording may be available at a later date on our streaming site for a small fee.

James Panico, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he teaches courses in stuttering, clinical methods, professional issues, and counseling in addition to clinical supervision. His primary research interests include listener perceptions of stuttering.

Scott Palasik, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor at the University of Akron. He teaches courses in Stuttering, Counseling, Voice Disorders and supervises graduate students. He researches mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy, and social cognitive perceptions with people who stutter. He’s also co-host of the Act To Live Podcast.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

Alan Rabinowitz

Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D., who passed away in 2018, was an explorer, wildlife conservationist, and author. He established the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in northern Myanmar, which is about the size of the state of Vermont.

His love for animals began when he was very young.

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, was well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones spoke some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Winston Churchill

Seeking to "remove Winston Churchill's stutter by second guessing the diagnosis" indicates neither a truthful retelling of history nor an informed opinion about a complex speech disorder, say experts in the field of speech-language pathology.

Recent news reports that quote Dr. John Mather, a Washington physician, as saying that Churchill's stutter "is a lie" brought adamant critical response from specialists in the field of stuttering and fluency disorders.