The ASHA Leader - February 2015 - (Page 56)

an illuminating PartnerShiP Another benefit of Michael Lang's generosity directly affects research: the reimbursement of research participants. 100 undergraduate CSD programs by University of Pittsburgh master's student Jieun Lee indicate that many CSD majors to graduate without taking a course in fluency disorders. Byrd's second goal was equally sweeping and dearly held: unobstructed access to treatment. Many adults who stutter face an additional impediment securing thirdparty reimbursement for treatment. Costs are high and insurance claims are often denied-a stark reality difficult for Byrd and her team to tell clients. Paying out of pocket discourages adults who stutter from even seeking help in the first place, let alone participating in a lengthy clinical program. As it turns out, though approaching disfluency from different directions, Byrd and the Langs had goals that converged. Michael and Tami Lang learned of Byrd's work at his alma mater. When she heard of their interest, Byrd confesses, "I was nervous but excited. When I learned he stuttered, I Courtney Byrd, director of the Michael and Tami Lang Stuttering Institute, with campers at the 2014 "Camp Dream. Speak. Live." 56 February 2015 | THe aSHa Le aDer knew in my head and heart I just needed the chance to talk with him and share with him what I had been working toward at UT for the stuttering community." The first meeting between potential benefactor and associate professor-the lifelong stutterer and CSD professional-went well. Byrd found the Langs to be careful listeners and "direct, kind and genuine." The impressions were positive on the other side as well. As Michael Lang recalled later at the opening ceremony for the institute, "When Courtney sees me, she sees somebody that nobody else sees." After a year's worth of open discussion and calibration of goals and resources among many interested parties, the Lang Institute opened in 2014. Shining a light It's working. Today, the Michael and Tami Lang Stuttering Institute is a thriving hub of research and practice. It offers stuttering evaluations for clients of all ages, weekly treatment sessions, home programs, parent training, consultative services, communication excellence workshops for people who stutter of all ages, and educational workshops for speech-language pathologists, teachers, medical professionals and the general public. The institute also sponsors a rollicking summer camp for children who stutter. When "Camp Dream. Speak. Live" first opened, 40 enrolled and a waiting list grew rapidly. And yes, those services come at no cost to children and adult clients. "The fact that we're able to offer all treatments free of charge is amazing," acknowledges Megann McGill, a PhD candidate in the UT Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She's quick to note another benefit of Michael Lang's generosity that directly affects research: the reimbursement of research participants. "It's always a struggle to find people who are willing to

The ASHA Leader - February 2015

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