Stammering
What is it?
Stammering is difficulty with getting words out smoothly when we know what we want to say. Your child may repeat, stretch out, or get stuck on words or parts of words when they are talking.
Stammering is a natural way of talking for some people due to small differences in how their brains are “wired”. It can be passed down through families or your child may be the first person affected. Stammering affects about one in twenty young children and perhaps one in 100 adults. “Stammering” and “stuttering” mean the same thing.
Many young children do not notice that they stammer and continue to speak confidently. However, some children and adults may avoid words or even speaking because of stammering. This is more likely to happen if they feel that stammering is “wrong” or “bad”, but it can also happen if they are finding talking hard work.
What to look for.
- Repeating words or parts of words, often at the beginnings of sentences, that continues for more than 4-6 weeks.
- Stretching sounds out.
- Forcing out words or becoming stuck.
- Signs that your child is working hard to get words out.
- Signs that your child is upset by their talking.
- Questions from your child about their talking.
Top tips.
Top tips to support a child or young person with a stammer.
Model helpful speaking behaviours for your child to pick up: slow down your own talking; pause slightly between sentences to slow your rate. Use shorter, simpler sentences when talking to younger children.
Use listening strategies: give your child eye contact when they are talking and get down to their level if necessary; give them time to finish what they have to say.
Show your child good turn taking strategies: when it is their turn to speak, give time and try to avoid interruptions. Equally, when it isn’t their turn to speak, don’t allow them to interrupt others.
Don’t tell your child to slow down, take a breath, or “practise” the stammered word. This can increase stammering, and if they are unaware of the stammer it may make them anxious about speaking.
If your child shows frustration it is fine to sympathise with them as you would if they were struggling with another skill. We all stumble over words sometimes, and children need to know this.
Treat teasing or bullying seriously – children should not be allowed to mimic the stammer.
More Links and Leaflets
- Children
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The British Stammering Association – stamma.org:
Advice for pre-school aged children
Advice for school-aged children
The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering in London Advice for children who stammer of all ages, parents, teachers, SLTs and other professionals.
Action for Stammering Children UK charity which “aims for a society where children and young people who stammer have the same opportunities and quality of life as their peers”.
The Fluency Trust UK charity that run highly specialist residential courses for young people who stammer.
Helplines:
Stamma.org telephone advice line: 0808 8020002. For Webchat and Email click hereThe Michael Palin Centre helpline: 020 3316 8100
My Stammering Tap and My Stammering Child videos – Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.
South Tees SLT Service have several information videos on understanding and supporting children who stammer.
Scott Yarrus, Stuttering Therapy Resources – a playlist of stammering advice videos from the USA.
Sam on Cbeebies – “You don’t suffer from a stammer, you rock it” and Sam’s poem “I have a stammer”.
- Young People
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The British Stammering Association – stamma.org:
The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering in London: Advice for children who stammer of all ages, parents, teachers, SLTs and other professionals.
Action for Stammering Children: UK charity which “aims for a society where children and young people who stammer have the same opportunities and quality of life as their peers”.
The Fluency Trust: UK charity that run highly specialist residential courses for young people who stammer.
Helplines:
Stamma.org telephone advice line: 0808 8020002. For Webchat and Email click hereThe Michael Palin Centre helpline: 020 3316 8100
International Stammering Awareness Day - An annual day dedicated to raising awareness of Stammering – 22nd October.No Diversity without Dysfluency - A call for broadcast media to include people who Stammer. “We want to normalise stammering”. There is no diversity without dysfluency.
It’s How We Talk - This campaign highlights the many misconceptions experienced by people who stammer.
Luke Ayling – Premiership Footballer talking on ‘Match of the Day’ about his stammer.
Ken Sema – Premiership Footballer talking about his stammer “Be you… it’s your superpower”.
Amanda Mammana – America’s Got Talent audition.
Megan Washington – “The thing is-I stutter” TED Talk.
Open Stammer with Vivian Siskin - YouTube channel: “to bring people who stutter together, provide an opportunity to hear others’ stories, and to help people who stammer feel a little less alone”.
Stambassadors – Action for Stammering Children: “Stambassadors connects people from the world of work who stammer with young people who stammer, sharing their stories and inspiring young people to think big when they are considering their career choice”.
- Teachers
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The British Stammering Association – stamma.org:
The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering in London: Advice for children who stammer of all ages, parents, teachers, SLTs and other professionals.Action for Stammering Children: UK charity which “aims for a society where children and young people who stammer have the same opportunities and quality of life as their peers”
Helplines:
Stamma.org telephone advice line: 0808 8020002. For Webchat and Email click hereThe Michael Palin Centre helpline: 020 3316 8100
“Wait, I’m not finished yet” – The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering: Advice for supporting children and young people who stammer in the classroom and wider school environment.
NEW - Penguin is a new mobile app designed to support parents and carers of children who stammer. (We would love to have any feedback about this app. You can send it using the feedback link at the bottom of this page).
Link to the iThrive document which gives an overview to clinical staff, local authorities, parent & carer groups, third sector and voluntary organisations, schools, nurseries and parent & carers of current support, signposting, services and treatment available to children and young people, who stammer/clutter, across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
What people have said.
- Feedback 1
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"A few weeks ago my son (13) was taken out of class to meet with the school's new Deputy Headteacher. He had no idea what was going on. When he arrived at the school hall he found out that he and 14 others from throughout the school had been shortlisted for a school award and this was the next stage - formal interviews with the deputy and a governor (both of whom he had never met before). He was shocked, excited and understandably nervous at the thought of having to speak to two unknown adults, face to face across a table, with the rest of the shortlisted pupils watching on. To add to this they chose to go in alphabetical order, meaning that he was second to go up with no time to rehearse what he would say.
The fact that he was even able to sit in the chair and face this challenge is testament to the 1:1 speech therapy sessions he has had with Shropshire Community Health over the past couple of years.
Not only has he learnt strategies to try and help with his stammer, but he now has a more positive mindset about it all and has massively grown in confidence, which helps him to worry less if he does start to stammer.
A year ago he would have found this situation very challenging and incredibly daunting, but despite all of the barriers they unwittingly put in front of him, as a child with a stammer, he was able to complete the interview and was incredibly proud of himself (as of course I am too!)."
- Feedback 2
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"I just wanted to say how fantastic all the therapists were when my son and I came for the three day group sessions. *** had the best time and he was so keen every morning to get to the group and was excited to tell me what he had done when he came out. I can’t tell you how valuable their knowledge and insight was for myself and in turn, my son. They helped me understand why he does what he does and the best ways to help him. They are such an amazing team and I cannot commend them enough."