>i come up with a BS excuse You don't have to. You could just state, clearly and simply, "I have a stutter". Stutter is just a thing that some people have. There's nothing to hide. Also, go back to speech therapy and don't bring your mom. I've actually never heard of that sort of thing. But obviously, she doesn't need to be there. Also, don't aim towards becoming fluent. Aim towards managing your stutter. That's the realistic approach, and it will allow you to become familiar with your stutter (instead of focusing on escaping it). Also... are you talking with anyone about this? Sounds like it may be something you're carrying around on your own. Don't do that. It helps to talk - to be understood - to know that someone else knows what's going on.