Time To Talk
produced by The Association for Research into Stammering in Childhood.

This video aims to provide answers to some of the questions that parents frequently ask regarding their communication with their stammering child. The video is divided into short sections each addressing one common fault e.g. interrupting; speaking too quickly; too many questions. These unhelpful behaviours are discussed from the stammerer's point of view by two boys and demonstrated by a 'family' at breakfast.

The two boys speak openly about their perceptions and I think few could fail to be affected by the obvious frustration and pain that they experience as a result of their stammering. I found their stammering when speaking to the camera entirely convincing and I was reminded yet again of how big a handicap stammering can be to the developing child. The topics dealt with in these short scenes have been well chosen to address areas of common concern and the implicit advice is sound as far as our current knowledge goes.

I have some reservations about the way in which the family group act out the undesirable communicative behaviours. The family members are so extreme in their failure to listen, maintain eye contact etc that I wonder if perhaps an important message isn't lost ie that we all think we communicate well but that we often fail in subtle ways to help our developing children. However it may be that the over acting will help parents in that they will feel confident that they are not as bad as this manufactured family and will benefit from having these faults identified in such an obvious way. The content covered by the two children, Willie Botterill (a speech therapist who summarises in the final section of the tape) and by the enclosed leaflet then give plenty of ideas as to how to correct these faults and facilitate fluency. The final summary of the main points is clearly presented.

The tape comes with a leaflet that gives some information about stammering and makes clear that parents are not held responsible for causing the problem. Rather, the advice aims to reduce parental anxiety and help to foster as good a communication environment as possible. There is only one point that worries me and that refers to 'punishment' which 'should be appropriate and consistent'. I cannot subscribe to the view that children should be punished. I am not alone in believing that punishment does little but show the child that the adult is more powerful and has a right to inflict pain. There are plenty of ways of encouraging cooperation and independence in children.

Making a video of this sort is a difficult task and this one has been produced with obvious care and thoughtfulness. I think parents, teachers and other concerned adults will find it helpful especially if it is used as a basis for group discussion. It would be helpful to have the address of the Association that produced the video on the tape and on the leaflet inside.

Reviewed by Rosemarie Hayhow in the Spring 1991 issue of 'Speaking Out'.

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