Vivian D. Sisskin MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F

Vivian Sisskin has more than 30 years experience specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of stuttering and other fluency disorders across the lifespan. She is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a Board Certified Specialist in Fluency and Fluency Disorders. Vivian is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland where she was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in stuttering and autism spectrum disorders, and is a clinical educator in the Department’s Hearing and Speech Clinic. Her research projects include treatment outcomes for avoidance reduction therapy for stuttering, and investigation of atypical disfluencies (final word repetition) among children.

Vivian presents her work on the treatment of stuttering both nationally and internationally. Her articles, workshops and DVD’s include the basics of Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering, changing thoughts and feelings related to stuttering, principles for effective group therapy, and atypical disfluencies (normally not seen in stuttering), as well as communication strategies for children with autism spectrum disorders. She is licensed as a speech-language pathologist in multiple states, is trained in the Lidcombe Programme for treating preschool children who stutter, and has both clinical and research training in the administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

Vivian received the ASHA Media Champion Award for promoting an improved understanding of communication disorders through her appearances on local and national television, radio, internet and print. She served on the Board of Directors of the National Stuttering Association and the American Board on Fluency and Fluency Disorders, served as Coordinator for ASHA’s Special Interest Group 4, Fluency and Fluency Disorders, and is a faculty member for the Stuttering Foundation of America’s Mid-Atlantic Workshop. She was named 2014 Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year by the National Stuttering Association.