(upbeat music) - The Intensive Stuttering Clinic at the University of Utah is for older adults and adolescents, and it targets both in proof speech production and stuttering management.

And here with more information is Julia Lidgard.

Hi Julia, thank you for being here.

So the university's been doing this for quite a while, every summer?

- That's correct, for at least 20 years now.

- Wow, and I know you target adults and older adolescents because they need a certain level of maturity.

- That's correct, it's two intense weeks.

So if the adolescent doesn't wanna be there, it's probably not a good fit, so they do need to have a certain level of maturity.

- All right, and kind of talk about the techniques you teach them to help them manage stuttering.

- So we work on acceptance because it is going to be a part of your life, but we also work on fluency-shaping techniques that help you gain control of your speech.

We start with things that are less stressful for you, and we work our way up to more stressful conversational exchanges and presentations and going out into the real world.

- Oh wow, and I know you do drills with them, and what are some of the drills you do?

- So we work on drills to help you really figure out the technique.

And then we play conversational games every day to practice what you just learned, the technique you just learned.

And then when we go out into the real world, now you have the chance to apply those same techniques, but with complete strangers in real-life situations.

- Wow, and yeah, I was gonna have you kind of talk some more about going out in the community.

So where do you take them?

- So the clinic is housed at the University of Utah campus and we go out into Student Union, that's one of our places.

We go into City Creek mall.

We do phone calls with various unfamiliar people, but we do three or four field trips where we're practicing the real techniques.

- Wow, and I'm sure it really helps them.

So yeah, thank you for doing it, and thanks for being here.

- Thank you.

- And if you'd like to know more about that upcoming clinic, it's the Intensive Stuttering Clinic at the University of Utah.

Email Julia at julia.lidgard@health.utah.edu, that's julia.lidgard@health.utah.edu.

I'm Mary Dickson, thanks for watching "Contact."

(upbeat music) - Local events, arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

Here on Contact, we introduce you to local events and organizations that serve your neighborhood.

If you work for a nonprofit and would like to appear on our show, please visit pbsutah.org/contact.