If You Stutter…You have FRIENDS!
FRIENDS is the only national organization dedicated solely to empowering young people who stutter and their families. Our mission is to provide support and education to children and teens who stutter, their families and clinicians.
FRIENDS is a non-profit, volunteer organization directed by Lee Caggiano, a mother of a son who stutters and a Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in stuttering. Founded by in 1997 by John Ahlbach, an adult who stutters and Lee Caggiano. Painfully aware of the urgent need of support for young people and their parents, and of the paucity of available services, FRIENDS was founded to provide this much needed support. Years of personal and professional involvement in the self-help/support movement have allowed us to create a compassionate, knowledgeable and empowering organization. Our members include the young people who are our focus, their parents and siblings but also adults who stutter and Speech Language Pathologists that have a special interest in stuttering.
Friends 2012 Convention – Denver CO.
Our annual conventions and regional one day conferences provide the opportunities for life changing experiences that can change long lasting feelings about stuttering and offer new hope for a life with stuttering. FRIENDS seeks to make life easier for young people who stutter and their families by:
- Publishing e-Reaching Out , a bi-monthly electronic newsletter Reaching Out, a quarterly digest of reflections and information on the stuttering experience for young people.
- Events – Annual Convention and Regional One Day Conferences. (See Convention Reflections for more information)
- Stepping Up Mentoring Program
- Graduate Student Training Program
Helping other Families
FRIENDS is a national non-profit, volunteer organization created to provide support and education for children and teenagers who stutter, their families, and the professionals who work with them. Since 1997, FRIENDS has touched the lives of thousands of people. We offer financial help in the form of grants to help families afford the cost of registration and the hotel. Without this aid, many families would be unable to attend. In one case, our aid allowed a family to stay in the hotel rather than sleep in the family car (which shows how much the FRIENDS experience is valued).
We continue to do all we can to keep expenses down: hotel rates, meals, and registration fees. If you are able, we would like you to consider a donation to help another family attend our convention. You can make a donation by sending a check today, payable to FRIENDS. Any amount is appreciated. Every $400 pays for a family to stay at the hotel. Every $200 pays for the registration for a family of two (one parent and one child).
Contact Us
FRIENDS is a national organization created to provide a network of love and support for children and teenagers who stutter, their families, and the professionals who work with them. Thank you for your interest and please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.
Lee Caggiano:
Syosset, NY 11791
Phone: 866-866-8335
E-mail: FRIENDS@friendswhostutter.org
