Roughly 79 million people worldwide stutter. In St. Louis, the National Stuttering Association (NSA) is building connection, confidence, and community — so no one has to navigate it alone.

On this episode of The STL Bucket List Show, host Lucas Farrell sits down with Chad Mannisi (Chair of the NSA Board of Directors) and Christine Rose (Regional Chapter Coordinator & speech-language pathologist at SLU) to talk about creating safe spaces, advocacy, and resources for people who stutter and their families.

We cover:

• Why “you are not alone” matters: chapters, conferences, and everyday community
• The shift from “fixing” stuttering to acceptance + effective communication
• Self-advocacy for kids/teens (and how parents & teachers can help)
• Local resources: monthly STL chapters, rotating family/teens meetups, and SLU’s free speech clinic
• Practical tools: back-to-school guides, mock interviews, employer resources
• A new Missouri driver’s license note (“Speech Impair”) to help in first-responder interactions (rolling out)

🖥️ Get connected & resources: westutter.org
SLU clinic info: Search “SLU Speech-Language & Hearing Clinic”

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🚗 The STL Bucket List Show is driven by Bommarito Automotive Group

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🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📍 Recorded at Bucket List Podcast Studio, St. Louis, MO