Ableism to Empowerment: Navigating School Structures When Working With Students Who Stutter.

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Disability studies
• Educational psychology

Background:

• School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) navigate complex guidelines.
• Existing frameworks can hinder the adoption of disability-affirming practices.
• There is a need to center the perspectives of students who stutter.

Purpose of the Study:

• To contrast ableist and disability-affirming practices in school-based stuttering therapy.
• To highlight the critical perspectives of students who stutter.
• To provide practical examples of disability-affirming therapy in public schools.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of student perspectives.
• Review of current clinical guidelines and practices.
• Development of practical examples for therapy and institutional change.

Main Results:

• Ableist practices often focus on fluency suppression, while disability-affirming practices respect diverse communication styles.
• Students who stutter desire autonomy in goal-setting and accommodations.
• Successful implementation requires updated assessment, therapy planning, and institutional support.

Conclusions:

• SLPs can adopt updated practices to affirm students who stutter.
• Collaboration, informed eligibility decisions, and student-centered goal choice are crucial.
• Shifting institutional practices can affirm the value of stuttered voices in schools and society.