Stuttering Treatment And Research Trust

12/10/2026

Belonging Matters 💚💙

The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week couldn’t be more relevant to START and our community.

Something we hear regularly, from tamariki as young as 6 to adults in their 40s, is that they feel like they’re the only person who stutters. With approximately 50,000 people who stutter in Aotearoa, we know this isn’t the case. Yet many people who stutter go through life without ever meeting or knowing someone else who stutters.

That’s why we do what we can to create opportunities for people who stutter to connect, share experiences, and feel a sense of belonging.

It’s not always easy. We’re a small team, and our community is spread across the motu. But when those connections happen, it's pretty special.

If you’ve ever wanted to connect with others who stutter, get in touch with us to find out what opportunities are available.

07/10/2026

While International Stuttering Awareness Day is on the 22nd October, the whole month of October is dedicated to sharing stories.

ISAD Online Conference runs from the 1st-31st October each year. Follow this link to read stories from the stuttering community

https://isad.live/isad-2026/papers-presented-by-2026/

06/10/2026

International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) is just around the corner on Thursday 22nd October! Check out this video explaining this year's theme "Shades of Stuttering" 🕶️

Shades of Stuttering - What's Yours?This is the official theme an...

05/10/2026

We're all catching our breath after a week full of events last week!

On Tuesday we hosted Play & Connect, a coffee morning for pre-school aged tamariki and their whānau ☕

Our clinical team got together for a full day of sharing, learning and planning on Wednesday! We all get together only twice a year so there's always lots to catch up on.

On Thursday we hosted Come Be Do, a social day for 8-12 year olds. We had 10 tamariki join us for lots of Lego building, Mario Kart and Nerf games! 🎮

We host these social events each April and September holidays so keep an eye out for the next one!

18/09/2026

The focus of this years SLT Awareness Week is on the next generation of speech-language therapists, so to wrap up the week we have some quotes from the students currently on placement at START 💙💚

Te Whai Ao refers to the first light before dawn — a time of emergence, possibility, growth, and becoming. Within the context of this year’s campaign, it reflects the future of the profession, the energy and perspectives students bring, and the ongoing evolution of speech-language therapy across Aotearoa New Zealand - New Zealand Speech Therapy Association Website

Thank you so much to those who shared their reflections.

16/09/2026

It's Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori! Check out some of the towns around the motu where we are currently supporting people who stutter. Not sure if Tīrau is Alexandra or Cromwell? Drop a comment and we'll let you know the English name for the town you're unsure about!

14/09/2026

Speech Language Therapy Awareness Week kicked off yesterday with a quiz night for SLTs in Ōtautahi. Brittney and Ange (START contractor) went along, securing a few stuttering related questions for the team. START even featured in one of the questions! 🧠✨

06/09/2026

EXCITING NEWS 📣
Next year, the World Stuttering and Cluttering 12th Congress will be held in Ōtautahi Christchurch 9-11 June 2027. Bringing together people who stutter, clutter and professionals - this will be an opportunity not to be missed!

Registrations are now open

02/09/2026

📚Book recommendation for parents and SLTs - Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival

Norman was always normal… until one day, he grew a pair of wings.

Afraid of what others might think or do if they discovered his wings, Norman kept them carefully hidden. But hiding them was uncomfortable, exhausting and hard work. Eventually, Norman made the brave decision to let his wings fan out.

And that's when Norman discovered something important: there is no such thing as perfectly normal, only perfectly Norman.

Perfectly Norman shares a wonderful message for children who stutter: the best person you can be is yourself.

Just like hiding wings, hiding stuttering can take a lot of effort and can feel uncomfortable. Through Norman's story, children can explore what it means to let their voices out and express themselves, just as they are.

Because there is no such thing as perfectly normal - only perfectly you 💙💚

30/08/2026

📣Our social events are back again these school holidays!

Tuesday 29th September - Play & Connect ☕
Play & Connect is a coffee morning for 3-6 year olds and their whānau

Thursday 1st October - Come. Be. Do
For 7-14 year olds, Come Be Do is an opportunity for tamariki who stutter to hang out in a relaxed and fun environment.

Attendees do not have to be a START client to attend. Auckland based SLTs are welcome to share this with local families 💛

RSVP by emailing [email protected]