Inside Dr. Danra Kazenski's office, colorful paintings of Vermont scenery adorn the walls beneath shelves lined with picture books and board games. A cozy sofa, perfect for meaningful conversations, nestles against her desk. But it’s the bulletin board that truly captures the essence of Dr. Kazenski's work - a collage of her clients' smiling faces and a testament to her dedication as a speech-language pathologist. One bright face on the board haunts her: of Ryan, a client who died by suicide at only twelve years old.

Though Kazenski wasn’t working with Ryan at the time of his death, she had worked with him for seven years. To cope with her grief, she opened an online store offering a range of merchandise promoting awareness of stuttering, with a portion of funds dedicated to support the National Stuttering Association.

For speech therapists, getting to know their clients is a natural outcome of evaluating the complex factors contributing to stuttering. Speech therapy is personal and tailored to each individual's unique needs, helping them find their voice and communicate with confidence. Three and a half years after Kazenski attended Ryan’s funeral, his story was published in the March 2024 edition of People magazine, and Kazenski’s grief was refreshed.

“It was so retraumatizing that I was completely recharged to advocate for people who stutter," said Kazenski, who believes that Ryan experienced the stress of the stigma faced by many people who stutter – including the current President of the United States. “Stuttering seems to be one of the only disabilities left that people feel like it's okay to just make fun.”

Fueled by frustration and desire for change, Kazenski joined with fellow stuttering advocates, including UVM alum and children’s book author Mackenzie Holland, to create the #NormalizeStuttering Challenge, and inadvertently launched a global social movement from her living room in Waterbury, VT. Within a week, people from around the world, including Africa, South America, and Australia, joined in on the conversation with hundreds of posts and thousands of views.

‘Like walking Thesauruses’

More than 80 million people worldwide stutter. In the US alone, more than 3 million Americans stutter, with four times as many males affected. Approximately 5% of children experience stuttering, but only 1% continue to stutter into adulthood. Stuttering is a complex communication disorder that can be influenced by various factors. Genetics, child development, neurophysiology, and family dynamics all play a role in its development. Understanding these factors is crucial in providing effective support for individuals who stutter.

What’s more, there's a widespread misconception that stuttering is purely psychological - and controllable - that causes many people who stutter to feel afraid to speak. Many adults who stutter often feel like walking Thesauruses, constantly choosing words that are less likely to interrupt their fluency. It's a daily struggle, from ordering food to choosing a career path.

“People who stutter (PWS) have a unique, and often agonizing, relationship with speaking,” says Will Durkin, who’s graduating with his master's from the Field Naturalist Program at the University of Vermont and starting his career as a field ecologist in Burlington this spring. “I can imagine how hard that is to conceptualize for people who do not stutter when speaking fluently is second nature. Even the people who know me the most - friends, family - don't totally understand what it's like to be a PWS.”

The #NormalizeStuttering Challenge is a great platform to bring awareness to those who might not know what stuttering is, or for non-PWS who might want to know more, Durkin says. Another benefit of the campaign is seeing the videos and posts of PWS introducing themselves – and stuttering.

“At some point people who stutter learn to change their words, look down, not order the food they want; and then it becomes a lifetime of being silenced in a way,” says Kazenski. In her therapy groups, people are empowered to shed their self-protective behaviors and practice "stuttering forward" openly. The result? Joyful, spontaneous, and genuine communication.

All in the 'stamily'

“Until I joined the stuttering community – known as the “stamily” - here at UVM last fall, I had only known two other people who stuttered in my entire life,” said Durkin. "Two people! And my first was when I was 22. Now I know dozens. It has been amazing to learn from fellow PWS about their parallel struggles, to stutter with them, and laugh about funny moments of disfluency. It really helps me feel not so alone in this.”

“The worst part of being a PWS is feeling alone in it,” says David Conner, a professor specializing in sustainable food systems at the University of Vermont who also credits Kazenski with creating a space where PWS feel seen. “The more normalized stuttering becomes, the easier it will be for all of us.”

Izzy Moffroid, who will complete her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders at UVM this spring, said she appreciates the sense of community she found in the program. “As someone who stutters, I have never felt so heard and respected amongst my classmates and professors,” she said.

Moffroid plans to continue to advocate for people who stutter and create more awareness around the disorder's impacts on social and emotional well-being through her career as a speech-language pathologist. She hopes to start in a setting working with kids.

“I think that people who stutter are a wonderful example of the courage it takes to connect and be vulnerable with the world around them,” said Moffroid. “My goal is to give kids the confidence and tools they need to succeed in school and in life.”

As National Stuttering Week approaches May 13-19, Kazenski is readying to amplify the message behind the #NormalizeStuttering Challenge. "I'm hoping that people who stutter see they're not alone, they don't have to hide it, and that if they do stutter, it's okay,” she said. “They absolutely deserve to be heard.”

Danra Kazenski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and professor who teaches clinical skills and supervises students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders master's degree program. She coaches students and other SLPs about how to effectively treat stuttering in young children, and has conducted research on emotional aspects and brain activity of people who stutter. Dr. Kazenski also co-leads the three National Stuttering Association support groups offered at UVM, which provide a supportive space for people who stutter and their families to share collective experiences.