Summer 2010

Carpe mare Art exhibition in Weymouth inspired by Rachel Reed's Channel Swim for BSA last September.

First genes found for stammering Dr Dennis Drayna and his team have identified three related genes which are mutated in a proportion of people who stammer.

Fluency Tracker iPhone app Stephen Paterson reviews the Fluency Tracker application for iPhone (or iPod touch / iPad).

The Starfish Project - my experience Matt Callard writes about how he has become his own therapist, whilst making the most of other people's support.

Talking blogs Blogging is an easy way to put your experiences and thoughts on the internet, and podcasters put up audio. Speaking Out asked some bloggers and podcasters on stammering to talk about what they do and why.

Spring 2010

10 Downing St reception Sarah Brown hosted a reception in honour of BSA in December 2009. These are some accounts of members who came.

Blind date Dating can be nerve-wracking for anyone. Fiona Jack talks about meeting her boyfriend who stammers.

GCSE Oral work - some changes BSA Education Officer Cherry Hughes outlines some changes to the English and Welsh Examination Boards as from 2009 and 2010.

In front of the class Ramesh Summan, who lectures in a further education college, talks about the strategies he finds helpful in his job.

The McGuire Programme: a personal view The McGuire Programme is known for its 'costal breathing' but that is only part of the story. Steve Sheasby charts his own journey through the Programme.

A silent minority The unique challenges faced by women who stammer are underappreciated, suggests Julia Ammon.

Reasonable adjustments - the need to know Northern Ireland tribunal case in which a claim for reasonable adjustments for a stammer failed, partly because the relevant staff at the employer did not know of the disability.

Talk to BSA online BSA is now on Facebook and Twitter. Steven Halliday, our Social Media Officer, writes about his new role.

Talking consequences What might have happened if we'd said that thing we didn't? Matthew Sumpter considers the butterfly effect.

They laughed in the right places Rotary Club talks are an excellent way to raise awareness of stammering as well as gaining confidence in public speaking. Martin Overing talks about the experience.

Thinking to change Geoffrey Brown, who has co-developed the 'MACH1' NLP course, sets it in the context of his own journey with stammering. Also comments from members of the Warrington Support group who took the course.

A year in the life of Doncaster Stammering Association self-help group Extracts from The DSA Meeting Log 2009 - with pictures.

Winter 2009

BSA National Conference 2009 - presentations and workshops:     New ways of delivering therapy - Professor Mark Onslow     Stammering children are still bullied - Dr Steve Davis OBE     Succeeding in interviews, including handout notes - Terry Gillen     Career Transition - Colin Marsh     Neurological vs Psychological: How does it fit together? - Dr Tom Weidig     Making the 'Fear Monster' your friend     Introduction to problem solving - Karen Morgan & Gemma Clarke, Michael Palin Centre     How to set up a self-help group, presentation slides - Rob Coe

Bob Bodenhamer - creating mental pathways The guest speaker at our August 2009 conference call, a Neuro-Semantics practitioner in the United States, talked about the possibility of installing new networks in the brain to help fluency.

Europe comes to Yorkshire Giggleswick, near Settle, was the location in July for the European League of Stuttering Associations' 7th Youth Meeting. Some participants talk here about the experience. Also Cameron Donald's diary of the Youth Meeting.

London to Brighton walk This summer Pepe Ghumra and his brother did a 50 mile walk from London to Brighton, in aid of BSA.

Practising with Skype Remigiusz Rozycki uses Skype to practise his speech, and talk with people who stammer around the world.

Reflections on a 40 year affair Jackie Turnbull, who retired as a speech and language therapist in June this year, looks back at a career in stammering.

Stammering at the Enquiry Desk You don't have to be fluent to work at an Enquiry Desk. This article by Andrew Janes is based on a presentation he gave at the BSA National Conference in September 2009.

Two Chairs and a sofa Velda Osborne stepped down in the autumn after four years as BSA Chair. She discusses the role with her predecessor Rachel Everard (1999-2005). You can also listen to an mp3 file of their conversation.

Book

'My Silent Pause', by Hunter Adair Hunter tells the story of his lifetime experiences as a stammerer, through being bullied as a child, meeting girls, and life at work. He also talks about the techniques he developed to control his stammer. Free to download.

Summer 2009

Challenges of retirement Early retirement created more rather than less of a problem for John Cole's speech. However it led him to look at why he had hidden his stammer, and to move forward.

Every Child's Chance of Fluency BSA's pre-school project has shown that with relatively minor adjustments SLT departments can dramatically improve their service. Our Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt outlines the findings.

Film for Head Teachers conference At this year's National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) conference in Brighton, the voices of our young people could be heard in a BSA film produced with the help of the Michael Palin Centre (MPC). You can watch the film online.

'Hammer the Stammer!' A sixth-former who stammers organised a 'Hammer the Stammer' concert which raised over £200 for BSA.

Interviews can be enjoyable! An interview often seems a worrying prospect. Paul Bond found what made the difference for him was being honest about his stammer.

Once more into the deep Mark Lyn was teaching at a school for young people with behavioural issues when he decided to stop using his fluency techniques.

Peter Kissagizlis recognised for work on cluttering The International Cluttering Association (ICA) has honoured Peter Kissagizlis with a lifetime achievement award for services to the promotion of awareness of cluttering.

A sensitive portrayal of stammering 'Three Days of Rain' ran in the West End in Spring 2009. Rachel Everard is one of the City Lit team who coached actor James McAvoy to stammer on stage.

Teasing and bullying Children who stammer may be bullied because they appear different to other children. Make sure that your child knows to always 'tell' on the bullies!

Tokyo marathon Marcus Everard completed the 2009 Tokyo Marathon in just over 3½ hours, and raised over £4,600 for BSA.

What is your theory? Expanding on part of her talk at the Cardiff Open Day last year, Dr Rosemarie Hayhow suggests that a focus on learning through trial and error may be more useful than a focus on 'succeeding' or 'failing'.

Working with Gestalt Gestalt Counselling helped Peter Cartwright to become a counsellor and trainer himself. He outlines what it is and how it impacted on his own stammer.

Spring 2009

AAF research - where are we now? Monica Bray, Speech and Language Therapist, reviews research on the use of altered auditory feedback (DAF and FAF) with stammering.

Action on Children's services The Government has launched its Action Plan responding to the Bercow Review. Norbert Lieckfeldt, BSA's Chief Executive, sees great potential in the proposals but more work to do.

Becoming aware How can being 'mindful' help your speech and life? A participant reports on City Lit's 'Mindfulness Meditation' evening course.

The Case of the Stuttering Lecturer Can stammering actually help you to lecture? Grant Meredith was voted by students top lecturer at his University and 14th in Australia, out of more than 6000 nominated.

DDA case on appeal The employer has won an appeal against the employment tribunal decision reported in our Winter 2007 Speaking Out.

GCSE oral components Schools should apply for access arrangements for students who stammer when these are helpful. By Cherry Hughes, BSA Education Officer.

I'm finding my own way Her father had dug deep to find a solution to his stammer. He wanted his daughter to do the same. Caroline Hughes-Dunant talks about her own journey.

Introducing cognitive therapy Cognitive therapy is the NHS treatment of choice for a range of psychological and emotional issues. Jane Fry of the Michael Palin Centre looks at its use with stammering.

Lancashire group raises £300 for BSA Burnley Pendle and Rossendale support group raised £300 for BSA though sales of a calendar created by the group.

Masonic support Owen Duxbury found the Freemasons supportive, and writes that Masonic ritual can improve a person's confidence and speech.

No I'm not listening to music When she had to return a custom-built device, Christine Simpson thought she'd try installing altered auditory feedback (AAF) software on her mobile phone and work computer. Also a view from her speech and language therapist, Jan Logan of City Lit.

OBE for Dr Steve Davis Dr Steve Davis of University College London has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list, for his services to children with communication disorders.

Stammering and blindness revisited Comments sparked by Lisette's article in the previous issue, in which she described how she finds stammering much more difficult to live with than blindness.

Why I am leaving a legacy to BSA By John Perkins. "Having lived with a stammer all my life, I appreciate the importance of what BSA does, and I want that to continue after my death..."

Winter 2008

Ben's Brother talks about 'Stuttering' song Stuttering (Kiss me again) provoked various reactions from BSA members. Ben's Brother founder and frontman Jamie Hartman talks about the song and reaction to it.

Bilingual children at greater risk? Are bilingual children more likely to stammer? Corinne Moffatt considers a new research paper.

Changing your mindset Alan Badmington's conference call from August 2008.

Online education Review of www.stutter-ed.com, online seminars by Professor Mark Onslow, for speech and language therapists.

Out of the blue What's it likes to develop a speech impairment in later life? Chris Todhunter was in a senior corporate position when he began to have difficulties talking.

Right help, right time, right place Tony Roberts looks back two years after doing a City Lit course, and says 'Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained'.

School appeals BSA Education Officer Cherry Hughes looks at how to appeal in England if an application for school admission is refused.

Speaking up for BSA BSA is often asked to supply speakers for Rotary and other groups. Colin Marsh writes about his experience of giving a talk to a local group, and urges other BSA members to give it a go.

Book review: 'Stammering: advice for all ages' Angela Munday reviews this book by Renée Byrne and Louise Wright.

Stammering or blindness - which is harder? Would you prefer to stammer rather than be without vision? Lisette Wesseling, a blind person who stammers, gives a suprising perspective.

Starting out BSA celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. Speaking Out asked some of thoseinvolved in the early years of the association to look back.

Talkcoach launches into world of work Drawing on their work with BAE Systems, SLTs Anne Ayre and Louise Wright have started a new company targeting the workplace.

Valuing therapy In a keynote speech at the 2008 Oxford Dysfluency Conference, Paul Dolan argued that healthcare economists should pay more heed to the attention-grabbing nature of stammering.

Wales and the West Open Day, Cardiff, 2008 Around 90 people packed into the hall of St Marks Church in Cardiff for the third of our Open Days in 2008, celebrating the 30th Anniversary of BSA.

Autumn 2008

An actor's life As a stammering teenager, it may seem an impossible dream to become an actor. Simon Boughey talks about his journey onto the stage.

Beyond the imperfections From speaking in court to speaking in class. Charles Robinson talks about being a trainee teacher with a stammer.

Communication is a fundamental right The Bercow Review final report sees communication as a core life skill and a human right. Norbert Lieckfeldt, BSA's chief executive who was on the Review's Advisory Group, reports.

Hidden Treasures in stammering? BSA's conference call in June, with John Evans as guest speaker, talked about whether stammering can bring some good things along with the difficulties.

London Open Day More than 85 people attended our London Open Day at Bethnal Green, despite tube maintenance work which closed the local underground station. The event was organised by BSA trustee Tanveer Rameez Ali.

Organising an Open Day Tanveer Rameez Ali thought he could never organise a Stammering Open Day. He talks about the fun and challenge of taking it on, and the sense of making a difference.

First Visit to ODC The Oxford Dysfluency Conference in July 2008 drew participants from around the globe. Speech and language therapist Neil Smith looks back at the experience.

ODC: some papers on work with young children By Margaret Evesham, BSA's Pre-School Campaign Co-ordinator

Should we stop saying "we don't know the cause of stammering"? At the 2008 Oxford Disfluency Conference, Anne Smith of Purdue University suggested that we know a great deal about the factors that cause stammering.

Paris Seminar probes the brain The Paris Conference on the Neural Bases of Stuttering took place in May 2008. Prof. Henny-Annie Bijleveld, who was one of the presenters, reports on the event.

Personal construct therapy: thirty years on Personal Construct Psychology emphasises that people can change. Peggy Dalton, who helped pioneer PCP and its use in a range of communication problems as well as in stammering, summarises the approach and its development.

School admissions Our education officer Cherry Hughes gives a short guide to school admissions in England when your child has a stammer.

The Speech, Language and Communication Framework (SLCF) Teachers and others working with children and young people need to have the right skills and knowledge to support those with speech, language and communication needs. The SLCF is an interactive tool to support this.

Summer 2008

Antwerp Symposium Dr Robin Lickley of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh reports on the first European Symposium on Fluency Disorders earlier this year, and the new European Clinical Specialization in Fluency Disorders (ECSF).

Assertiveness and stammering After co-facilitating City Lit's workshop on this topic, Rachel Everard talks about assertiveness for people who stammer.

Developing your young child's language skills In the second of a series of articles, BSA's education officer Cherry Hughes writes about laying a good foundation in language skills for your child who stammers.

Deliberate dysfluency? Just the ticket In a BSA conference call about his experience of the McGuire Programme, Steve Sheasby gave an example of resolving an approach-avoidance conflict through voluntary stammering.

Going by the book Formerly a gardener, Martin Brough was helped to greater fluency and a career change through a self-help book.

Into the workplace Ramesh Summan faces the challenge of moving into the world of work, communicating in a busy open plan office with new colleagues and clients.

Norwich Open Day Events around the country to help celebrate BSA's 30th Anniversary kicked off with a successful Norwich Open Day, organised by John Thompson of the Norfolk and East Suffolk self-help group.

Obituary: Vivian Sheehan 1917 - 2008 Tributes to Vivian Sheehan, who was a remarkable Speech and Language Pathologist and the wife of Joseph Sheehan.

Book reviews: 'Beyond stammering' by Dave McGuire (Revised edition), 50 Great Activities for Children who Stutter', Reitzes, 'The great psychotherapy debate', Wampold.

Spring 2008

Educational achievement and the child who stammers Stammering need not be a barrier to achievement. In the first of a series of articles, BSA's education officer Cherry Hughes looks at monitoring with teachers your child's performance against their ability levels, and at 'School Action'.

Feeling the fear John Harrison's BSA conference call in October 2007 included a lively discussion on fear and stammering.

Making connections For John M. Evans, connecting with people and being true to himself became more important than hiding and trying to conceal his stammer.

Mastering Bullying?! Research with stammering school children and their parents, by a team at the University of Dortmund.

In memory of Sandra Stewart (1954 - 2008) Sandra Stewart was Vice Convenor of BSA Scotland for two years, and a leader of the Grampian Stammering Self Help Group.

Mind over white matter: Differences in brains of young people who stammer Increasingly studies are finding physical differences in the organisation of brains of people who stammer, but what about children? Kate Watkins is lead author of one of two recent studies looking at brains of young people who stammer.

Never off the phone John Thompson talks about his job dealing with people's benefit claims over the phone.

Rocket scientist 'Rocket Science' tells the story of Hal, a stammering teenager who joins the debate team in pursuit of a girl. BSA Scotland's Jan Anderson interviewed the film's director Jeff Blitz about his own experience of stammering. Also full interview.

A royal occasion Speech therapy at City Lit was recently awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize in recognition of its work in adult stammering therapy.

Student allowance granted for fluency device Disabled Students' Allowances may fund an electronic fluency device if you are in, or about to enter, higher education. Zaber Ahmed writes about obtaining the allowances for a VoiceAmp device.

Therapeutic Speech Massage A technique developed by Dr Elena Dyakova aims to increase the effectiveness of standard treatments for stammering and various other speech conditions, as Dr Michael Greenwood reports.