• To promote among speech-language pathologists the highest standards for training and service delivery to positively impact the communication skills—and lives—of individuals who demonstrate stuttering, cluttering, and fluency disorders.
• To verify knowledge of fluency disorders and mastery of skills of professionals who seek and maintain the credential of Board Certified Specialist—Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders (BCS-SCF).
• To publicize the benefits of working with specialists in fluency disorders and to provide an up-to-date listing of individuals who maintain the status of Board Certified Specialist—Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders (BCS-SCF).

In 1995, Specialty Recognition was established by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Effective January 1, 2014, the Clinical Specialty Certification (CSC) program replaced the previous Clinical Specialty Recognition (CSR) program. Clinical Specialty Certification enables a speech-language pathologist or audiologist with advanced knowledge, skills, and experience beyond the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) to be identified by colleagues, employers, referral and payer sources, and the general public as a Board Certified Specialist (BCS) in a specific area of clinical practice.

The CSC program is overseen by the Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) through the CFCC’s Committee on Clinical Specialty Certification (CCSC). The CFCC establishes minimum standards for both specialty areas of practice (Area Standards) and the certification of specialists (Specialist Standards). The CCSC monitors a Specialty Certification Board’s (SCB) adherence to the CFCC’s standards for the program and approves applications for new clinical specialty areas .

The American Board of Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders was the first clinical specialty program approved by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 1998. The idea of a specialty program was driven by the need to give consumers access to professionals with advanced knowledge and skills, and to educate and recognize expert clinicians.

The specialty program, initially known as the Specialty Board on Fluency Disorders, came into being through the efforts of both professionals and consumers. It was championed by ASHA’s Special Interest Division 4, Fluency and Fluency Disorders, with support from the National Stuttering Association and the Stuttering Foundation of America. Some of the key people involved included Eugene and Crystal Cooper, Hugo Gregory, Oliver Bloodstein, Glyndon and Jeanna Riley, and Dean Williams.

Today we are one of a growing number of ASHA specialty certification programs. Board members are volunteers elected by their peers, and we continue to work closely with both professionals and consumers.

The minimum five-member American Board of Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders is organized, in keeping with its bylaws, to include four officers: Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Board's bylaws address issues such as election to the Board, terms of office, officer responsibilities, and other critical organizational information.

The ABSCF meets regularly and maintains communication in order to fulfill its responsibilities. The Board determines and applies procedures for relating to Board Certified Specialists in Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders. The Board recruits and assists candidates who wish to become Board Certified Specialists in Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders. The Board maintains, refines, and revises—when necessary—the standards and mechanism for certification, and obtains required approval from the CCSC through ASHA.