Fostering a supportive communication environment is crucial to the overall success and well-being of children who stutter. However, children who do not stutter often lack knowledge about the disorder and how to sensitively respond to peers who stutter. Uninformed or insensitive peer reactions can lead to social ramifications for children who stutter, which may negatively impact their overall social-emotional well-being. This presentation will summarize current research relative to what peers know about stuttering and provide practical, evidenced-based recommendations about improving young children’s stuttering attitudes.

Bio: Mary Weidner, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Edinboro University. Her research focuses on measuring and improving young children’s attitudes toward children with communication disorders. She authored the Attitude Change and Tolerance Program (InterACT), a puppetry-based program aimed to teach children about stuttering and other human differences. Mary has presented her work at numerous state, national, and international conferences and has ongoing international research collaborations. Clinically, Mary provides teletherapy for children who stutter, co-directs Stuttering U., a camp for children who stutter and their families, and co-manages the Stuttering Academy, an online resource for clinicians. She has co-authored children’s books about stuttering and assisted in the production of the documentary, "Stuttering: Part of Me.”