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Better Together! The World Stuttering Network (WSN)

Tom Scharstein, Tricia Hedinger

Saturday 2:00PM - 3:00PM EST

Advocacy All

The ultimate goal of stuttering support is to get People Who Stutter (PWS) talking. The mission of the WSN is to share information and what works to accomplish this goal. Meeting other support group leaders instills a grander sense of purpose and fuels the passion for making this world a better place for PWS. The WSN is exciting, fun, and innovative. We strive to be dramatically different than anything else in existence. This session will lay out the concepts, what worked and what didn’t, and why people gravitate to the belief that, we’re “Better Together!”

What to expect

  • They shall see the value of meeting as many PWS as possible throughout life.
  • They shall understand the benefit of mutual successes in stuttering support organizations. “You win, WE win!”
  • They shall gain confidence that they can lead a stuttering support group.

About the presenter

Tom Scharstein

Tom Scharstein is a person who stutters from South Florida, USA. Involved in stuttering support since 1996, his dream was to bring the world’s stuttering support group leaders together. This dream became a reality in the World Stuttering Network (WSN). Tom is deeply honored to serve as the Chair.

Tricia Hedinger

Tricia Hedinger, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F is a clinical associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Knoxville, TN and serves as the Vice Chair for the World Stuttering Network. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders and has been a support group leader since 2013. Ms. Hedinger has published multiple articles related to stuttering, presented at national & international conferences, co-authored a book titled “Bullyblossom: A Tale of Overcoming Bullies & Embracing Stuttering to Live a Life of Achievement.” She has particular interests in anti-bully movements for school-aged children and serves on her local school district’s counseling committee. She is also the host of the “Stutter Stories” podcast.

Last updated: 2021-12-01