Barbara Amster, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, BCS-FD, ASHA Fellow

Dr. Amster is the Founding Director of the undergraduate, graduate, and PreSLP programs. She is an ASHA Fellow and a Board Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders. She served as the Pennsylvania Delegate to ASHA’s Speech Pathology Advisory Council and on the Nominating Committee for the Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC).  She served as the Vice President for Professional Preparation and Continuing Education of the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association from 2008-2013. She was a member of the Steering Committee of ASHA’s Special Interest Group in Fluency Disorders.  She has more than 35 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist in many settings. Her research interests involve treatment of stuttering specifically the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and understanding the nature of stuttering.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Speech rate
Stuttering
Language and speech development of children in the child welfare system

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Speech and Hearing Science Temple University
M.S., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Pittsburgh
B.A., Speech and Theatre, Brooklyn College

CERTIFICATIONS

• Certificate of Clinical Competence of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Board Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders

TEACHING

COSD 511: Fluency and Stuttering

PUBLICATIONS

Mancinelli, J.M. & Amster, B.J. (January 2015). Rethinking ClinicalEducation. The ASHA Leader. Vol. 20, 6-7. doi:10.1044/leader.FMP.20012015.6

Gottwald, S.R., Amster, B.J., & LaSalle, L. (2010). A checklist for assessing graduate student/clinician competencies in the area of fluency. Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders. 20 6-9.

Klein, E.R. & Amster, B.J. (2010). Does a graduate class in Fluency Disorders make a difference? Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders. 20 10-14.

Amster, B.J., & Klein, E.R. (2008). Perfectionism and stuttering: Is there a connection? Invited Paper, International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference. http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/amster11.html

Amster, B.J. (2008). Problem-based learning in fluency and stuttering. Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders.Vol. 18, No. 1, 43-47.

Amster, B.J., & Klein, E.R. (2008). Perfectionism in people who stutter: Preliminary findings using a modified cognitive-behavioral treatment approach. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 36, 35-40.

Amster, B. J. & Klein, E.R.  (2007). The role of perfectionism in stuttering: A follow-up study. In J. Au-Yeung & M. M. Leahy (Eds.), Research, Treatment, and Self-Help.  In Fluency Disorders: New Horizons Proceedings of the Fifth World Congress On Fluency Disorder (pp. 361-367). Dublin, Ireland, The International Fluency Association.

Klein, E.R. and Amster, B.J. (2004). “The effects of cognitive behavioral therapy with people who stutter.” In A. Packmann, A. Meltzer, and H. Peters (Eds.) Theory, Research, and Fluency Disorders: Proceedings of the Fourth World Congress of Fluency Disorders(pp. 154-160). Nijmegen, Netherlands: Nijmegen University Press.

Amster, B. J. (2002) “Some thoughts on language over-stimulation and stuttering.” Perspectives in Fluency and Fluency Disorders, Vol 12, No. 1, 8-11.

Amster, B.J. and Starkweather, C.W. (2000) Comments on “Utterance Length, Syntactic Complexity and Childhood Stuttering” by Yaruss. JSHR, 43, 810-811.

BOOKS

Amster, B. J., & Klein, E. R. (Eds.). (2018). More than fluency: The social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of stuttering. San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.

Silver, J., Amster, B. and Haecker, T. (Eds.) (1999). Young Children and Foster Care: A Guide for Professionals. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Company.

CHAPTERS

Amster, B. J., & Klein, E.R. (2018). The Impact of Perfectionism on  Stuttering. In Amster, B. J., & Klein, E.R. (Eds.) More than Fluency: The  Social, Emotional, and Cognitive Dimensions of Stuttering. San Diego,CA: Plural Publishing.

Klein, E.R. & Amster, B. J., (2018). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for People Who Stutter. In Amster, B. J., & Klein, E.R. (Eds.) (2018). More than Fluency: The Social, Emotional, and Cognitive Dimensions of Stuttering. Plural Publishing.

PRESENTATIONS

Peer Reviewed

Klein, E.R & Amster, B. J., (2013). Adapting a Modified CBT Program for Children Stutter, Paper presented at the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association (PSHA), April, Harrisburg, PA.

Klein, E.R & Amster, B. J., (2012) Comparing and Contrasting Stuttering and Selective Mutism to Inform Practice. Paper presented at the 7th World Congress on FluencyDisorders July, Tours, France.

Klein, E.R., & Amster, B. J., (2010) Perfectionism in Selective Mutism. Research poster presentation at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

Amster, B. J., & Gottwald, S. R.  (2009, August). Problem-based learning in fluency and stuttering. Paper presented at the 6th World Congress on Fluency Disorders, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Amster, B.J., & Klein, E.R. (2006, July). The Role of Perfectionism in Stuttering a Follow-up Study. Paper presented at the 5th World Congress on Fluency Disorders July, Dublin, Ireland.

Amster, B.J., & Klein, E.R. (2006, April). A Preliminary Study of Perfectionism and Stuttering: Follow-up to Treatment. Paper presented to the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, King of Prussia, PA.

Amster, B.J., & Klein, E.R. (2005, November). A Preliminary Study of Perfectionism and Stuttering: Follow-up to Treatment. Paper presented to the annual meeting of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, San Diego, CA.

Invited

Page, J., Amster, B., Gill, C., & Griffith, S. (2010, April). Plenary Issue – Distance Education Programs: Myth vs. Reality. Invited paper presented at The Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders: The Great State of Technology: Closing the Distance, Austin, TX.

Amster, B.J., (2007, June). Problem-Based Learning in Fluency and Stuttering, Invited paper presented at the annual meeting of American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Special Interest Division 4, Minneapolis, MN.

Amster, B.J., (2007, March). Invited presentation to the Governor of Delaware Task Force on Solving Shortages of SLPs in DE, Starting a Master’s Program in Speech-Language Pathology: Lessons Learned, Newark, DE.

Amster, B.J., (2006, September). How La Salle University Meets the Critical National Shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists.  Invited presentation to the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Office, Rockville, MD.

AWARDS AND SPECIALTY RECOGNITION

2015 Honors of the Pennsylvania Speech-Language Hearing Association

ACE Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The ACE is a formal recognition of professionals who have demonstrated their commitment to lifelong learning by earning 7.0 CEUs (70 contact hours) within a 36 month period. This award was received in 2013, 2012, 2011 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006 (two awards), 2003, 2002, and 2001.

2000-Present: Board Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders (BCS-FD)

2007 Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association