Keynote speaker Dario Strangis

About the presenter

Dario Strangis is a person who stutters and clutters, a speech and language therapist and early-career researcher based in Italy. He serves on the board of the Italian Stuttering & Communication Association (AIBACOM), is the Italian representative of the International Cluttering Association (ICA) and a lecturer at the University of Turin. Dario works mainly with voice professionals—such as teachers, actors and musical performers—as well as with children and adults with fluency differences. He is currently completing a Master of Research at Queen Margaret University (Supervisor: Dr. Robin Lickley), Edinburgh. His project explores the lived experiences of people with speech differences, and how these insights can inform more inclusive clinical practices and greater societal awareness. Dario is also actively involved in awareness-raising and community events, including Erasmus+ projects, working alongside many friends in those communities to challenge stigma and support people who stutter and/or clutter in their daily lives. His work aims to bridge research, clinical practice and advocacy.

Presentation topic:

Stuttering, Cluttering or both? Exploring how we feel when we speak!

How do we feel when we speak? Do we all feel the same way? How do we describe it?

In the stuttering and cluttering community, our sensations are not always those reflected in the definitions offered by the literature. Something is missing—something that speaks to our lived experience. And in some cases, such as the experience of cluttering, much remains unexplored and can lead to confusion, even within these communities.

This talk builds on the personal and professional journey of the first author, a speech and language therapist and early-career researcher who also stutters and clutters. This dual perspective has shaped his understanding of the importance of listening to first-hand experiences and amplifying voices that are often overlooked.

The presentation introduces preliminary results from the first phase of a mixed-methods study exploring how people who stutter, clutter, or both describe their experiences while speaking. This qualitative phase gathers insights into how individuals perceive their own speech, giving voice to their perspectives and learning from their experiences. By integrating clinical and experiential knowledge, the project aims to provide insights to improve diagnosis, inform clinical and research practice, and promote public understanding.