A Viewpoint on the Ethics of Pseudostuttering Assignments: Guidelines and Best Practices for Their Use

Pseudostuttering, or the act of voluntarily stuttering or stuttering on purpose, has been both regularly used by clinicians alongside clients in stuttering therapy and taught to students in stuttering courses for decades. However, in recent years, teaching speech-language pathology students how to pseudostutter in stuttering courses has been increasingly questioned by students on grounds that pseudostuttering may be ableist, a disability simulation, and of questionable clinical value. The purpose of this article is to discuss the value and ethics of pseudostuttering assignments as part of graduate clinical education for speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The history of pseudostuttering and the pseudostuttering assignment within speech-language pathology pedagogy, disability studies literature, and community perspectives are reviewed. In so doing, we incorporate views from the broader disability rights community, the stuttering community, and stuttering research and clinical literature. Stuttering literature and community perspectives not only confirm the value of pseudostuttering assignments but also underscore the critical importance of assignment purpose, framing, structure, and scope. Pseudostuttering continues to be a critical clinical skill for SLPs who work with people who stutter, and pseudostuttering assignments are an invaluable learning experience for speech-language pathology graduate students. However, assignments must be designed and implemented according to a specific set of principles and best practices. Assignment design that does not follow these principles and best practices is likely to perpetuate ableist constructs and inadequately prepare students to work with individuals who stutter. Graduate course instructors should educate themselves on these principles and engage with students who express concerns with the assignment.