Spring 2013

Out With It by Katherine Preston Book review. In her debut book, Katherine Preston gives a refreshingly honest memoir of her journey of living with a stammer, cleverly weaved with information and quotes gathered through interviews with celebrities, researchers and ordinary people who stammer.

Unlocking talent: the Employers Stammering Network BSA Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt introduces the new initiative to create networks of people who stammer within organisations.

Autumn 2012

The Art of Communication: BSA Conference 2012 At the 15th BSA National Conference, in Lincoln, the Doncaster Stammering Association led by Bob Adams put together a successful weekend of fun, music and art. Here, attendees share their experiences.

Creating resilience factors to improve life outcomes Publisher Ryan Rivera is an advocate for understanding anxiety and its effects. In this article he gives some tips on creating resilience to cope with stammering.

From stage to screen: Working at the BBC Felicity Baker decided not to let stammering hold her back, and here explains how taking up acting led her to a job interviewing high-profile politicians.

The Teasing and Bullying: Unacceptable Behaviour Programme BSA Education Officer Cherry Hughes reviews a new bullying-prevention resource.

University challenge Going to university for the first time can be a daunting prospect, what with moving away from home and meeting a whole new set of friends. Rob Sullivan tells us how he coped and gives advice for new freshers.

Using the brain to understand stammering At the BSA Conference 2012 and the London Open Day, a team of researchers from the Speech and Brain Research Group at Oxford University presented their work on brain imaging of people who stammer.

The 7th World Congress on Fluency Disorders Three speech and language therapists (SLTs) share their experiences of the tri-annual event.

Spring/Summer 2012

'Bridges' Susan Clark, of the the Stammering Support Centre, writes about a presentation by Trudy Stewart at the– European Symposium on Fluency Disorders 2012.

How sport helped me with my stammer With the London Olympic Games set to inspire the nation to become more active, two contributors explain how challenging themselves through sport has benefitted them.

'Kings Speakers' Harry Dhillon introduces his new Toastmasters group for people who stammer.

The King's Speech on stage After a theatre tour ending up in the West End, The King's Speech play closed in May 2012. After attending its gala premiere, BSA Chair Leys Geddes met up with Charles Edwards, who played King George VI, for a chat about taking on the role.

Lights, Camera, Action! In March 2012, the BBC documentary 'Stop My Stutter' followed four young people as they embarked on a McGuire Programme course run by Gareth Gates. Here, two participants share their experiences of being on television.

The Phonics Check for Year 1 pupils BSA Education Officer Cherry Hughes talks us through the Synthetic Phonics Screening Check being introduced in primary schools in England this June.

The Sun's Roy Hodgson headline On the Sun's headline mocking the slight speech defect of the new England football team manager.

The teenage girl who stammered Life was going well for Lesley Brownlow-Mackarel growing up in the 1980s. But all that was about to change, as she remembers what it was like to be... the teenage girl who stammered. Lesley published her first novel this year.

Thoughts on the European Symposium on Fluency Disorders 2012 Manchester self-help group member Max Gattie comments upon presentations held at the 3rd biennial event in Belgium, and suggests therapy contributions of his own.

What a difference a year makes! Since deciding to do something about her stammer, Mandy Taylor has had an eventful year which culminated in her starting up a self-help group in Northern Ireland.

Winter 2011/12

BBC's 'The Kid's Speech'- Has stammering therapy moved on? Last October the BBC broadcast a documentary following three children on a course at the Michael Palin Centre called 'The Kid's Speech'. Viewer Gordon McConnell was disappointed with what he saw.

BSA Conference 2011, Durham BSA held its 14th National Conference at Collingwood College, Durham last September. Four attendees share their experiences of the weekend.

Early intervention - A view from Ireland Patrick Kelly carried out an 11-year audit into the outcomes of stammering intervention. Here he explains his findings.

European Friends The 8th Youth Meeting, organised by the European League of Stuttering Associations (ELSA), took place last July at Giggleswick, Yorkshire. Peter Bradley shares his experience of the event.

The Expert Parent resources BSA Education Officer Cherry Hughes introduces the new website aiming to empower parents, which went live in September 2011.

'Hello' is not ready to wave goodbye Lynne Milford from The Communication Trust reflects on the achievements of the Hello Campaign in 2011, the National Year of Communication.

How can forgiveness help us with stammering? BSA trustee John Evans explains how learning to forgive has made a significant difference in his life.

How I overcame my stammer Roger Currier found life limiting until discovering a way to retrain his brain to speak in a new way. Here he explains how he did it.

Negotiating with a stammer Working for a trade union, Mike Graham is used to public speaking. But in this honest account of his life with a stammer, he still finds it a source of anger and frustration.

The Oxford Dysfluency Conference 2011 The 9th Oxford Dysfluency Conference (ODC) took place at St. Catherine's College last September. Three attendees give us a flavour of what was talked about. You can also watch some videos of interviews at the conference.

Practice interview day BSA volunteer Christine Simpson writes about running a pilot day for BSA members to practise job interviews.

Renée Byrne 1929-2011 Last year, the stammering world lost a great friend and therapist. Renée Byrne died on 4th December 2011. Here four contributors provide some insights into her life and work.

Stammering Support Centre declared open! Last December the new centre in Leeds had its official opening ceremony with some very special guests. Team therapist Joanna Kitchen describes how the day unfolded.

A word on stammering and censorship John Ford, BSA's volunteer librarian, wonders whether one should object to opera being 'sanitised' with respect to sexism and racism, but not for making fun of stammering.

Summer 2011

Broadcasting The Queen's English Taxi-driver Gary Hastie recently presented a documentary about stammering for BBC Radio Merseyside. Performance poet and writer David Bateman is one of those who took part.

Crazy guys on bikes Anthony Billingham and his girlfriend Kate are cycling round the world in aid of BSA.

Fay Fransella 1925 - 2011 Fay Fransella, who died on 14th January 2011, was a pioneer in developing the application of Personal Construct Psychology to stammering. These are some tributes to her.

The King's voice Neil Swain was the voice coach who helped Colin Firth portray George VI's stammer in The King's Speech. He spoke to Allan Tyrer about working on the film.

Hospital staff training A chance encounter between Richard Cave, a speech and language therapist at a London hospital, and Christine Simpson led to a training session for hospital staff in March.

My journey to an Excel award It seemed that Richard Lloyd's hopes of a new career in the police force were to be dashed by his stammer. But speech and language therapy has helped him succeed and win awards.

New guidance on disability New guidance on the definition of 'disability' in Equality Act 2010 came into effect on 1st May 2011. Allan Tyrer outlines some of the changes.

No relief for children who stammer on Red Nose Day The Comic Relief sketch by Lenny Henry, spoofing a scene of The King's Speech.

Obituary for Mr Franklin Brook FRCSLT Franklin, who died last year at a very advanced age, was a great friend of the BSA and a true crusader for the cause of stammering at a time when very little was known about it.

Opening up Even after featuring on BBC's Lost for Words documentary, Gouri Laher continued to have difficulty in stammering openly. She talks about how hypnotherapy has helped her do this.

Public decide name for new Northern centre The BSA website hosted a poll to name the new NHS regional speech and language therapy service in Leeds. After more than 170 responses the final name chosen was Stammering Support Centre.

Southwark cuts protest Speech and Language Therapists from Southwark PCT in London presented a petition in March opposing cuts to services and jobs.

Speaking as a librarian Speech therapy has taught Mark Tynan how to be at ease with himself and his stammer. He puts this into practice when giving lectures to students.

Stammering risk factors at age 8 Will an eight-year old child still stammer as a teenager? About half do not. New research examines how to predict whether or not a child will recover.

Stammering Support Centre Open Day Bob Adams and others from Doncaster Stammering Association were among those to get a view inside the new centre at an event this May.

Taking on the phone monster Helen Phillips has always found telephone calls daunting. She writes about what helps, listener reactions, and tackling calls head on.

Spring 2011

Acceptance and commitment therapy In June 2011, City Lit will be running its second course based on this new approach to stammering therapy. City Lit speech and language therapists and students talk about the 3-day workshop.

Black Swan Green revisited BSA Patron David Mitchell, award-winning author of Black Swan Green, reflects on what he has found useful for stammering, and on raising public awareness.

Finding our voice BSA trustee John Evans took part in a debate at a screening of The King's Speech in Cardiff. This is a shortened version of his contribution.

Living with a severe stammer Following a comment to the 'Stammering Dragon?s Den', in the last issue of Speaking Out we invited readers' experiences of having a severe stammer.

Reflections on organising two open days The Norwich Open Day last November was the second John Thompson had organised. He looks back at some difficult times, but also at the rewards of holding these events.

Remembering Lionel Logue BSA member Richard Oerton recalls his own experiences with King George VI's speech therapist.

Rotarians support the BSA BSA trustee Colin Marsh gives an 'After-breakfast' speech!

Speakers House reception In November 2010 BSA presented its education website stammeringineducation.net at a lunchtime reception and recital at Speakers House, House of Commons.

Spotlight on stammering Many BSA members appeared on radio/TV, or in newspapers, or approached local cinemas, to raise awareness of stammering around The King's Speech. Here are some of their experiences.

Street Awareness Day in Doncaster Welcome back to Doncaster Stammering Association. After a long absence, Jamie Harwood (now DSA events co-ordinator) was invited to get involved in its Stammering Awareness Day last December.

Teens Challenge course benefits from mentor scheme by Claire McNeil, speech and language therapist.

Understanding cluttering Dr David Ward of the University of Reading, co-editor of a new book on cluttering, argues for due attention to be given to this less well-known condition which can occur alongside stammering.

Book review: 'The King's Speech', by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi.

Winter 2010

A capital Walk and Talk Christine Simpson writes about this sponsored walk in London, based on historical landmarks associated with famous people who stammer.

Ed Balls MP becomes BSA patron The news was announced at our London Open Day in September, where Ed Balls spoke and answered members' questions.

Equality Act in force Most of the Equality Act 2010 came into force on 1st October 2010. It replaces the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 for discrimination and harassment which happens from October onwards.

Flipping the switch In a BSA Conference Call, David Friedman from California spoke about working with Bob Bodenhamer using Neuro-Semantics.

Life in the fast lane Mary Bird, with her award winning 'Car Love' male toiletries range, recently used as table gifts at the Conservative Ball and as gifts to the Stars at the MOBO awards 2010, explains how important her stammer has been to her.

Looking back on 7 years with BSA By Tanveer Rameez Ali, on stepping down as a trustee.

People who stammer less perfectionistic? Paul Brocklehurst outlines some of his research, and wonders whether people who stammer may be able to communicate more effectively in certain situations by paying less attention to accuracy.ng 2011

Profile: Paul Curtis A BSA member talks about themself and their stammering.

Running a computer business After being expelled from school, and a series of dead end jobs, Lee Cartwright decided to take life by the horns and set up his own computer repair business.

The King's Speech: chatting with Colin Firth The King's Speech deals with King George VI and his efforts to control his stammer, with the help of his speech therapist Lionel Logue. BSA Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt spoke with Colin Firth who plays the King.

'Snapshots' Campbell Lauder draws parallels between transgenderism and stammering, in his own life and in a play produced in Edinburgh last summer.

Stammering Information Programme for schools Michael Palin Centre's DVD 'Wait, wait I'm not finished yet....', launched in October 2009, is available free of charge for pupils who stammer and their parents, SLTs, teachers, and SENCos in England to show to education staff.

The times of King George VI Recollections of living with a stammer during the reign of King George.

View from Toronto By Daniele Rossi, who watched the North American premiere of The King's Speech.

Book review: 'Recovery from stuttering', by Peter Howell

Autumn 2010

At the crossroads As a law student wishing to go on to practise law, Adam Chaffer had to choose whether to train as a barrister or solicitor.

Brit Writers success Aspiring young writer Ashaur Rahman reached the finals of The Brit Writers' Awards in July 2010.

Increasing awareness for therapists Alan Badmington writes about talks he has given to speech pathologists and students in the United States.

Is your child a gifted and talented pupil? Gifted and talented (G&T) pupils are entitled to 'differential provision' to ensure they achieve their potential. BSA education officer Cherry Hughes feels that schools may be failing to spot when a child who stammers is G&T. (2010)

Job talk With experience of acting, singing, sales, and soon to be a therapist, Amy Leggatt insists that effective communication in one's job need not depend on fluency.

No rest for the wicked! Evil Twin's Mark Carroll has realised a dream of working with young people who stammer. His company's most recent project is The Stammurai - an iPhone app made entirely by the young people under Mark's tuition. He talks to BSA Chair Leys Geddes.

Obituary: Oliver Bloodstein Author of the classic work 'A Handbook on Stuttering', now in its sixth edition, Oliver Bloodstein passed away in July 2010.

Pagoclone - disappointing news Dr Robin Lickley of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh gives an update on this drug which has been undergoing trials for stammering.

Profile: Mikey Tose A BSA member talks about themself, their stammering, and what they find helps.

Stammurai A free iPhone/ iPod touch game has been created by young people aged 13-18 who stammer. You can download it from iTunes.

Student experience Starting university can be a big life change. We asked people on the BSA Facebook page for any tips and experiences to pass on to new students who stammer.

A transforming experience at Toastmasters Public speaking was a nightmare for Harry Dhillon. So how did he end up as President of a Toastmasters club in London?

Tribute: Catherine Montgomery 1951 - 2010 By Carolyn Cheasman of City Lit, London. Catherine developed a model of stammering therapy which inspired the 'Integrated Approach' courses now run by City Lit.

Working with primary children Lisa loves her work as a teaching assistant in a primary school. She talks about dealing with her stammer, and the great support she receives from colleagues.

Book review: Hooray for Aiden

Summer 2010

Bringing British expertise to Germany A group of German adults made considerable progress both in their English language and fluency skills over a weekend.

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.

From client to consultant Recently City Lit students participated in the training of speech and language therapists wishing to develop their expertise in dysfluency. Jan Logan introduces the perspectives of some of the clients and therapists involved.

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

New laws on equality Soon the Equality Act 2010 will replace the Disability Discrimination Act. Allan Tyrer outlines some of the changes in the new legislation.

Living with cluttering Cluttering is sometimes confused with stammering. Denise Cox describes how for many years no one could diagnose why she spoke as she did, and the impact cluttering has had on her life.

Notes from Antwerp Norbert Lieckfeldt and Margaret Leahy report from the European Symposium on Fluency Disorders held in Antwerp in April 2010.

Self-help groups - Indian tour By Keith Boss, a BSA Trustee, International Stuttering Association Director, and Chair of ISA Outreach

Speak easy Christopher Weet offered people who stammer a chance to overcome their fears of public speaking at an event in Gillingham last winter.

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.