Scott Yaruss, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F

J. Scott Yaruss, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, F-ASHA, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Master’s Degree program in Speech-Language Pathology in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh, Coordinator of Clinical Research in the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Director of the Stuttering Center of Western Pennsylvania. A board-certified specialist in fluency disorders, Dr. Yaruss has served on the board of directors for the National Stuttering Association and as Associate Coordinator for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Special Interest Division for Fluency Disorders. His research examines factors that may contribute to the development of stuttering in young children as well as methods for assessing and evaluating treatment outcomes in children and adults who stutter. Dr. Yaruss has published more than 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals and nearly 100 other articles, papers, and chapters on stuttering. He is author, co-author, or editor of several booklets, books, and brochures on stuttering, including the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering (OASES), a comprehensive evaluation tool for children, adolescents, and adults who stutter; School-age Stuttering Therapy: A Practical Guide, and the Minimizing Bullying for Children Who Stutter program (all published by Stuttering Therapy Resources, Inc. [www.StutteringTherapyResources.com], a publishing company dedicated to developing useful resources for helping speech-language pathologists work with people who stutter.) Dr. Yaruss has been named Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year by the National Stuttering Association and received the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Yaruss teaches classes on stuttering and counseling methods for speech-language pathologists at the University of Pittsburgh and frequently conducts workshops designed to help speech-language pathologists improve their ability to work with individuals who stutter. Information about Dr. Yaruss’s workshops can be found at www.Yaruss.com.

Linda A. Kliebhan, PT, C/NDT

Linda A. Kliebhan is a physical therapist with over 40 years of experience treating children and young adults with Cerebral Palsy and other Neuromuscular Disorders. Linda is a Coordinator-Instructor in Neuro-Developmental Treatment, teaching the NDT/Bobath Certificate Course in the Management and Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Neuromuscular Disorders, Advanced NDT Courses, and workshops related to pediatric practice in the US and internationally. She is in private practice in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area providing consultations and short-term intensive therapy. She also serves as Cerebral Palsy Consultant to the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Orthopaedics, and is President of Partners For Progress, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing short-term intensive therapy.

Susan Spitzer, PhD, OTR/L

Susan Spitzer is a licensed occupational therapist, author, and lecturer with expertise in sensory integration, play, and autism spectrum disorders. She has operated her own private practice clinic in Pasadena, CA for 12 years. Her highly creative and individualized approach continues to energize her practice after 20 years of experience. Previously, she directed a hospital program and worked in early intervention programs and public and private schools. She is certified in sensory integration and the Interactive Metronome®. Dr. Spitzer has taught occupational therapy courses at the University of Southern California. She is a highly respected presenter for audiences within and outside of occupational therapy. Her work radiates her passion about the benefits of occupational therapy as well as the capacity for development and potentiality in all children with developmental disabilities. Dr. Spitzer received her B.A. in psychology from Claremont McKenna College, where she conducted research on video modeling for play with children with autism and assisted in behavioral interventions. She received both her M.A. in occupational therapy and her Ph.D. in occupational science from the University of Southern California. Her doctoral research focused on understanding individual meaning in activities for children with autism. This research and training provided the foundation for her focus on using personal occupational meaning as the cornerstone for effective intervention. Dr. Spitzer’s writing has been driven by her desire to make research more accessible and relevant to practice. Currently, she is co-editing the 4th edition of the text, Autism: A Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Approach (published by the American Occupational Therapy Association). She co-authored the text book Activity Analysis, Creativity, and Playfulness in Pediatric Occupational Therapy: Making Play Just Right as well as chapters in other books. She has written several articles in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy as well as published in the Journal of Occupational Science and the Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy.