Keynote speakers: Per Alm - Is this why we don't stammer when we sing? Dennis Drayna - Genetics - how stammering can run in families. Gerald Maguire - One step closer to drug treatment of stammering Trudy Stewart - The Artist's Eye - therapy through the looking glass.

From Per Alm's presentation: research is leading to a new understanding of how the brain processes speech.

Time to meet and talk is one of the best things about BSA conferences.

Our 2006 conference included activities and workshops for children.

Velda Osborne, chair of the organising committee, reflects on feedback from our September 2006 conference.

In the weeks since the conference the messages of thanks from both delegates and presenters have been truly inspiring - leading even to thoughts of 'yes it could be done again'!

The delegate feedback questionnaires were complimentary about all the keynote speakers. I had been a bit concerned that the trio of science-based presentations would be heavy going but this was certainly not the case. I already knew that Trudy Stewart's presentations were extremely thought provoking and they certainly stood up to the test of being heard more than once.

Another popular thread was presentations given by members who have made great strides in coming to terms with their speech, for example Tanveer Ali and Gordon Little. Other presentations mentioned favourably included 'seven highly effective habits', 'having fun at interviews', 'managing stress positively', 'neurolinguistics' and 'voice production'. All of these demonstrate I think the tremendous appetite that people who stammer have for self-help and getting on with life.

My highlight was watching the film Unspeakable, undoubtedly because it was a truly entertaining film with broader interest. For people who stammer, the material about family relationships was moving and reassuring. I would say that the film could easily do justice to being included in something like the Horizon series on BBC television.

A very pleasing part of the feedback received has been that both delegates and presenters felt the atmosphere was really welcoming. However it was also apparent that some felt the programme was over-full and would have welcomed more of an opportunity for just sitting back and chatting in a relaxed atmosphere. A challenge for future conferences is to maybe do more to ensure that newcomers feel as relaxed and included as old stagers.

From the organisers' point of view it lived up to expectations: all the presenters arrived safely in time and nothing considered in our risk assessment actually happened. The conference was very well attended, with 125 delegates residential over the weekend and a further 60 day delegates. We are proud to have kept the delegate fee as low as possible and equally proud from the BSA's point of view that the event broke even. There are a few issues that would need discussion with the conference centre were we to use the venue again, but nothing insurmountable.

Velda Osborne, organising committee chair

You can only have a first-time, once

This was my first BSA conference. Having attended the London open day last month, I thought I was prepared for the conference. I was very much mistaken.

The atmosphere, the socializing and making new friends were as important as the very informative workshops. I had read about some of the American conferences, and the emails between friends who had met at a conference and then continued a friendship well after conference. At least one of them told me that I would really enjoy Telford.

Being told in advance that you will enjoy something is no substitute for the actual thing. The whole weekend was a completely new experience that I would love to repeat. Sadly, you can only have a first-time once. Velda and the rest of her team gave me a weekend to remember. Thank you.

Keith Boss, BSA trustee

You'd be barking to miss it...

Fantastic - great - what more can I say about the national conference at Telford. It was all thanks to our hosts - Shaukat Ali and the rest of the organising committee - the venue accommodation, food and workshops. I had the opportunity to meet up with a lot of old friends and a lot of new ones. I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all BSA members, friends old and new a merry Christmas and a happy new year. I hope to see you all again next year.

Ron Smith
Barking, Essex

From the Winter 2006 edition of Speaking Out