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Winners announced for 2024 Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

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Seven finalists pitched their ventures live at the HolonIQ Back to School Summit in New York City. Media Contact:  Jackie Jircitano, Catalyst @ Penn GSE Communicationsjackie@alessicommunication.com *Note for TV and

Frequently Asked Questions

Practical questions about Stutter Stars

Is Stutter Stars a subsitute for speech and language pathologists?

It is really hard to substitute help from an experienced speech and language pathologist (SLP). For clients working together with an SLP, the SLP can create a unique therapy that combines live therapy with video game play. Hybrid therapy can explore aspects of stuttering beyond motoric and behavior techniques for improving fluency, such as feelings and attitudes towards stuttering in general.

Many people who live in remote areas or who do not have access to a fluency specialist nearby can still greatly benefit from the Stutter Stars (formerly known as Fluency Friends). The stuttering techniques applied in the game are from decades of research from some of the top board-certified stuttering specialists and researchers in the field. We know the techniques you will see in the game are beneficial. In addition, scaffolding, feedback, and support are continuously given throughout the game. Anyone who plays the game will learn a new technique of speech production with hours of opportunities to practice.

Is Stutter Stars Available for PC or Mac?

No, not yet. At the moment, Stutter Stars is available on the Apple App Store for iPhones and iPads and on the Google Play Store for Android tablets and smart phones. 

Is Stutter Stars available in other languages?

Stutter Stars is currently only available in English. 

We are working on expanding to other languages including Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch! Stay tuned!!!

What inspired the making of Stutter Stars?

Dr. Suzi Fosnot is a past executive member of the American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders and has been focusing on the treatment of stuttering since the 1980s. 

Her research on prosody as an inclusive method on stuttering treatment in addition to fluency shaping and stuttering modification techniques led to the publication of The Fluency Development System for Young Children (FDSYC).

The FDSYC is an evidence-based approach aimed at fostering fluent speech in preschool and early elementary-aged children. The program combines structured practice with a supportive environment to encourage fluent communication and prevent the persistence of stuttering behaviors.

Does Stutter Stars really work?

Stutter Stars has been in research and development since 2018 in collaboration with past members of the American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders and other fluency specialists.

From the onset, Stutter Stars has been tested in various environments with hundreds of children (and some adults) who stutter. We have seen that intensive practice can have a dramatic effect on speech fluency and confidence. 

Similar to other research on neuroplasticity, 15-20 minutes of daily practice for 6 weeks leads to the creation of new brain (neural) pathways. 

Finally, your child is at the core of our mission. We prioritize efficacy over everything  and are therefore in continuous collaboration with various universities in the United States, South Africa, and Belgium. 

Why Stutter Stars?

It combines all the best motor speech techniques used by the best stuttering experts. Plus – it’s bundled in a video game that will MOTIVATE your child to practice.

Stutter Stars was also developed by some of the most skilled speech recognition engineers. Your VOICE is the JOYSTICK. As you play, you get IMMEDIATE feedback, and the game adapts to your child’s performance.

Stutter Stars monitors your progress and provides guidance in the areas that could use more practice.

Download The App

Stutter Stars has been used by more than 3,000 unique users from over 190 countries.

Stutter Stars logo as depicted when opening up the video game developed by SAY IT Labs