What is it about?

This project aimed to understand the needs of adolescents who stutter as they transition from high school to adulthood. We conducted focus groups with high school students who stutter, recent graduates, their parents, and school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The study found that while each area—education, employment, and independent living—has unique challenges, a common theme is the importance of helping adolescents adopt a proactive approach to discussing their stuttering. SLPs play a crucial role in this process, as they often provide specialized support to these students. To assist SLPs, the researchers developed a printable discussion guide to facilitate conversations during postsecondary transition planning.

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Why is it important?

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are often the only specialized service that students who stutter receive at school. Because of this, SLPs are often primarily responsible for developing an individualized transition with these students. However, few SLPs have received training or education in transition planning for this population. This article and printable discussion guide were designed to support school-based SLPs in identifying the unique needs of students who stutter as they transition to adulthood so that they can provide meaningful supports.

Perspectives

I hope that readers find the results of this study as informative as the authors have. It was truly a pleasure learning about the unique transition needs of high schoolers who stutter through the research participants' recounting of their lived experiences.

Professor Ginger G Collins
University of Montana

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Preparing Adolescents Who Stutter for the Transition to Life After High School, Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, May 2025, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA),
DOI: 10.1044/2025_lshss-24-00082.
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