Recalling nothing but stammering throughout most of my life it has been interesting to listen to and share the sometimes horrifying experiences young people have voiced during my six years as a speech therapist. Many of these problems are directly linked to experiences within the school setting where teasing and ridicule sometimes result in permanent psychological damage and where a stammer develops rapidly from one of syllable and word repetition to blocks, avoidance, struggle and panic.

I recall one young man who attended clinic deciding that at fifteen years of age the time had come to do something about his steadily worsening speech. He explained that speaking and reading aloud in class were his main concerns and asked if I would visit his school to speak with his teachers. On arrival at school I met his form teacher and year tutor and was amazed to hear that neither could understand why I was there because "John does not stammer and never has done". I proceeded to explain the various avoidance strategies employed by John, e.g. word substitutions, use of starters and fillers (e.g. "like" and "you know"), purposely giving incorrect answers to questions and a host of other examples all of which successfully hid the stammer but left John under severe stress and absolutely shattered.

Another child, a girl aged twelve had been working very hard over a period of month when one day she came to clinic stammering severely and greatly distressed. She explained that her teacher, in front of the whole class had said to her "It's about time you stopped stuttering and spoke properly".

One school I contacted refused permission me to speak with a pupil's teacher.

These are just a few examples of how some teachers can make school life miserable for children who stammer. But it must be said that the vast majority of teachers do not receive training in the management of stammering. Most do what they think is best for the child but in many instances it can result in a worsening of the stammer. Some choose to ignore the problem or avoid asking the child to read aloud or answer questions. But this can lead to the child feeling isolated by singling him out and drawing attention to his 'problem'. Others may attempt to force the child to speak believing that a 'kick up the backside' will cure the problem.

The one thing teachers rarely do is sit down with the child and openly discuss the problem and how best to ease his anxieties. I encourage this approach with teachers but only with the child's permission, and the results have been encouraging. Most teachers are willing to vary aspects of their teaching style to cater for those who stammer, e.g. by permitting reading aloud in small groups rather than in front of the whole class. Some will modify the way in which daily registration is carried out by asking the children to raise their hands instead of saying who they are and the teacher's name. I explain to the teacher that the aim is to increase confidence and reduce the child's anxiety, eventually allowing him to feel able to read aloud and answer questions along with everyone else.

The National Curriculum has increased the pressures on children who stammer by putting greater emphasis on oral presentations which means that speech therapists must become even more involved than ever before.

I believe that many of the problems experienced later in life by stammerers originate from the negative experiences of childhood, particularly within the school setting. I am pleased to see that much more emphasis is now put on treating stammering in the early stages, particularly with the under fives where a stammer can be prevented altogether. More help is also given to those of school age by increasing the number of specialists within the field of stammering and by continued and expanding use of intensive courses where group discussions and role-plays of classroom situations can be performed.

I know that if I had been given the help I needed when I went through school I might have been spared some of the great difficulties I encountered in later life and that continued help must be given to all those suffering today.

From a 'Helping Stammering Pupils Project' supplement in the Summer 1995 issue of 'Speaking Out'