
In my time working in a private practice, I have had parent after parent come to me utterly frustrated with the lack of speech services being provided by their school district. Too often these concerned parents are being told that their child does not qualify for services as stuttering does not have an "academic impact." Unfortunately, this explanation is often being provided not because the child does not warrant services but rather because the therapist does not feel comfortable or competent in providing stuttering therapy. Even worse, some children are being denied services as a direct result of therapists receiving pressure from their district to limit the students being added to the caseload. Despite the challenges involved in providing stuttering therapy within the school setting, there are many dedicated therapists that demonstrate that it can be done! I want to take this time to spotlight the Kenosha Unified School District, of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Thanks to a small group of devoted speech pathologists working in this district, KUSD has created a monthly therapy and support group, the Friends Stuttering Group (FSG). I hope FSD can act as a model for how school districts around the country choose to serve their students who stutter.