National Stuttering Association — Free Peer Chapters for People Who Stutter
The National Stuttering Association (NSA) is the nation’s largest peer organization for people who stutter, with local chapters and online communities across the country. Founded in 1977 by people who stutter for people who stutter, the NSA operates on the principle that stuttering is a part of who someone is — not a problem to be fixed — and that connecting with other people who stutter dramatically reduces shame and isolation. The NSA runs adult chapter meetings, teen and youth chapters, family chapters, an annual conference, and online community spaces.
What to Expect
NSA local chapter meetings happen monthly in cities across the U.S. — peer-led gatherings where adults who stutter come together to talk, support each other, share resources, and build community. Teen and youth chapters create the same kind of space for younger people who stutter. Family chapters bring together parents and family members of people who stutter. The annual NSA Conference is a multi-day gathering of hundreds of people who stutter that members often describe as life-changing — a rare experience of being one of many people who stutter, where stuttering is the norm in the room. Online community spaces extend the chapter experience for members in cities without an active chapter and for people who want ongoing peer connection between meetings.
Who This Group Is For
The NSA welcomes people who stutter at any age — children, teens, young adults, adults, and elders. Family chapters welcome parents, partners, siblings, and others supporting someone who stutters. NSA members include people who stutter mildly, severely, and everywhere in between; people who do and don’t pursue speech therapy; people who do and don’t use AAC; and people across all racial, ethnic, gender, and economic backgrounds. The community is intentional about including people of color, LGBTQ+ people who stutter, and others whose stuttering experience is shaped by additional marginalization.
Why Peer Support Works
People who stutter often describe a lifetime of being one of the only people who stutter in nearly every room they enter. NSA chapter meetings and the annual conference flip that experience — putting a person who stutters in a community where stuttering is shared. The resulting reduction in shame and isolation often opens up parts of life that stuttering had been gating: work, dating, leadership, public speaking, deeper friendship. The peer relationships built in chapters and at conference often last for decades.
How to Join
NSA membership is free, with optional dues that support chapter and national programming. Visit westutter.org to find a local chapter, register for the annual conference, join online community spaces, and learn about NSA’s broader programs. The site lists chapters by state and city plus virtual options for members across the country.