BSA Scotland's third Summer 'Scool confirmed that group residential and intensive therapy is the option of choice for children and young people in Scotland who stammer, their enthusiastic parents and participating therapists who value this opportunity for specialist team working with colleagues from across the country. It's a no-brainer - Summer 'Scool is a winner for everyone!

Jacob's Ladder.

'Night line' blind obstacle course (partner talks you to safety).

Skimming stones on the loch shore on party night.

Break dancing at the party.

Emerging from the Labyrinth, a challenging problem solving activity.

This year's course comprised of 23 boys and girls at a ratio of 3:1 and our age range stretched to bring in two nine year olds for the first time, giving a span of 9 - 14. We operated two subgroups: Group A consisted of younger boys and Group B consisted of girls and older boys.

Participants came from Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Forth Valley, Glasgow, Grampian, Highland, Lanarkshire, Lothian, Tayside and West Lothian. Most were referred by their local therapist to benefit from meeting other children and young people who stammer: the strongest outcomes from the course are:
increased self acceptance and confidence that comes from knowing you are not alone;
increased motivation to speak out and try new techniques, fostered while working intensively as a group.

Course participants are kept very busy. We get up at 7.15, breakfast at 8.00 and perform dorm duties before 'Group Time' at 9.20. The course programme involves three hours of 'Group Time' with speech and language therapists every morning and outdoor activities every afternoon from 13.30 - 17.00. After showers, tea and another dorm inspection, evening activities from 19.00 - 21.30 include a further hour with the therapists and 1.5 hours with the outdoor activity staff.

This year, evening sessions included screenings of two recent films relating to young people who stammer:
'Speak', a DVD produced by the Swindon Fluency Trust, is a documentary showing teens who have attended Fluency Trust courses speaking about self acceptance, speaking out, communication skills, fluency strategies and positive thinking.
Outspoken, a DVD developed by TAG Theatre and BSA Scotland, features a play about stammering and bullying in secondary school plus 'talking heads' of young people in Scotland who stammer speaking about their experiences. This was used to stimulate discussion about teasing and bullying and how to manage this.

Outdoor activities included gorge walking and jumping into river pools (The Splosh), caving (The Squeeze), abseiling and a group climbing/ropes task that involves clambering to a great height (Jacob's Ladder). These activities are used to build confidence in the physical, nonverbal realm and to highlight how 'self talk' and positive thinking in advance of any kind of challenge can affect our capacity to perform.

Socially, the course leads to new friendships that long outlast the week and sustain the sense of security that comes from knowing you are not alone. New forms of social networking such as MSN and Bebo mean that our growing community of Summer 'Scool participants have a loose network they can tap into whether to have fun, like all young people, or to get a boost when the going is tough.

The last night of Summer 'Scool was celebrated with a party. We skimmed stones on the loch shore on a beautiful evening and some showed off break-dancing and singing skills during an informal variety show. Everyone returned home next day, exhausted by the busy schedule, ready for their own beds and the relative peace of home, yet with lots to say about all they had learned...

Here are some early comments from the perspectives of all involved:

Children

"Being at Summer 'Scool with people in the same situation as me made me realise I am not alone. I have learned techniques to help when I am speaking. I like 'sliding' the best. I met some good people and had a great time. I especially liked the Splosh!"

"It was funner than school - much more fun! I liked the outdoor stuff. I was nervous - about staying away but everyone was nice and I am proud of myself because I stayed away from home. I did Jacob's Ladder and I can control my talking if I concentrate."

Parents

"I am very happy to report we have seen a great change in our son's attitude to his speech since he has returned from the BSA Scotland Summer 'Scool. He has even tried to implement some of the techniques he learned at school. His teachers have been made aware of what he is doing and he is considering telling the class what he has been trying to do and why. We have seen a huge improvement in his confidence and the "humour" just goes on and on. He has now started speech therapy which will continue in school. So he is continuing the good work which you all started. Once again I would like to thank you for the opportunity he was given."

"In 10 years my son had never met another person who stammered. I think he believed that he would never be able to control his talking and was nervous about moving into secondary school - he often talked about not being able to get a job when he left school because he couldn't 'do an interview'. He really enjoyed Summer 'Scool. It allowed him to focus on his strengths - the physical outdoor activities - and he has grown in confidence and understanding of his stammer. He can now control, with effort, his speech and is proud of himself and knows he has it within him to cope. I really am both delighted and a little surprised that 5 days could have such a profound effect after 6 years of speech therapy. Personally, I had never met other parents of children who stammered and had not realised the emotional aspect of not knowing what to do and how to help - and the differences in therapy provision across Scotland. So the whole experience has been hugely positive - thank you."

Volunteer

"This course was such a valuable experience and I can now move on with more confidence and perhaps a renewed feeling of learning to accept my own stammer... Being a young adult volunteer on a course like this was rewarding in many different ways - because I could understand the feelings and opinions of the children, I feel I was able to support them in a way that benefited both them and myself. Listening to the worries of a young teenage girl who has particular difficulties in making friends and being able to make her feel more confident was a particular highlight of the course."

Therapists

"Summer Scool is a unique opportunity for children in Scotland who stammer to experience an environment where everyone understands what it is like to be dysfluent, where their peers are completely accepting of their speech, and there is NO substitute for this. As professionals, it is also a place and a time when the importance of good services for young people who stammer is underlined, knowledge is shared, and inspiration for furthering good work is found."

"I can honestly say that taking part in Summer 'Scool has been the overall highlight of my speech and language therapy career. Summer 'Scool enables therapists like me, who don't get the chance to work with many youngsters who stammer, a unique opportunity to gain experience with 10-14 year olds; it offers the chance to be involved with groups (so often we can't bring together groups and this is such a good way of working at this age); it offers the chance to be part of a team, from planning to delivery, and the chance to observe how other therapists work. It is amazing to be part of therapy couched in the fun of an outdoor centre - to be with the kids in a more pastoral setting and see their personalities, to see them meet challenges, gain confidence and also to be there for them when they are feeling less robust. I have always been struck by the somewhat dismal accounts that adults who stammer provide when they reflect on their therapy as kids - and it is really humbling and fantastic to have contributed to an experience that will hopefully be a positive memory for our kids when they get to the stage of looking back."

"Serving the needs of children and young people is the reason why I became a speech and language therapist. I think that this course is advantageous in being able to serve the needs of a large group of children across Scotland - not only by increasing their understanding of techniques to help when they stammer but also by increasing their confidence in so many ways in challenging activities and helping them to support each other. I would recommend this course to any child/young person who stammers and am proud to have been part of it."

"Thank you very much for allowing me the privilege to work on the Summer 'Scool. I came back on a real high, and still am buzzing about it to friends and colleagues. Please don't let this be the last Summer 'Scool - the children of Scotland need this!!"

BSA Scotland thanks BBC Children in Need for fully funding all child, young person and staff places at Summer 'Scool. Thanks also to the Speech and Language Therapy departments who released therapists to deliver the course; to the therapy team who devoted themselves wholeheartedly to ensuring the success of the course; and to the young adult volunteers who stammer who provide additional support and insight.

Jan Anderson, August 2009

Summers 'Scool 2008 - report.
Summers 'Scool 2007 - report.