We talked to nine teenage stammerers on a therapy course in London, and their stories gave us valuable insight into their difficulties at school.

Reading Out aloud in class was an ordeal that most of the young stammerers had gone through and experienced negative emotions about. There was a general feeling that stammerers, teachers, and therapists should communicate better and work together to make this potentially damaging activity a positive learning experience, where skills could be learnt for the future.

"When I'm in an English class reading a book, with each person taking a turn at a paragraph, I'm normally missed out and I think - thank God she hasn't picked me. It makes you feel good for a while but after the lesson you feel bad when people ask you - "What's the matter with you, are you afraid or something, can't you take it?"

"Usually I'm very tense and nervous and afterwards some of the other pupils try to humiliate and talk down to me. It doesn't really help me to talk in front of the class, as that makes me feel even more negative and it doesn't help my speech. I'd rather like to prove to myself that I'm capable of doing it and to the others who tease me. If the teacher spoke to me personally beforehand that would help. If they understood what I was going through that would make it a lot easier on me and ease the pressure perhaps."

Bullying and teasing were also a common problem with the schoolchildren we talked to. Although these had bad effects, their occurrence tended to lessen with time and familiarity. An important message that came over was that you should do or say something about it and not suffer in silence.

"The bullying had the effect of me often staying silent in class whenever possible."

"When I was younger being a stammerer didn't bother me but now there are a few people who mimic me. It depends who they are but I find it easier to tell them I stammer. One particular boy actually apologised to me when he wasn't with his friends and admitted he was also nervous of reading out and wouldn't come to school if he had oral exams."

"Every time someone takes the mickey it makes my stammer worse. If it wasn't for my elder brother who beat them up it would have continued. We tried going through the school channels but it didn't solve anything. When I came home in tears one dinner time my dad got fed up and sent in my older brother."

Poor Teachers. One of the most disturbing aspects of talking to these stammering school children was the incidence of unhelpful and destructive attitudes and reactions from their teachers, often in the sensitive areas of reading out and bullying. That some teachers can show such lack of understanding and compassion gives us cause for concern.

It is vital for future generations of stammering school children that the teaching profession learns how to recognise stammering in children and the correct way of responding. Hearing these stories has certainly re-emphasised the need for our help in this area.

"On one occasion I was asked my name by a teacher and when I stammered she said - "Have you forgotten it?" I don't know if she realised I had a stammer but it was very upsetting. During the rest of the year I didn't really try to get to know her. I didn't ask questions, which spoilt learning, in case she made another comment on my speech".

"One teacher would always shout at me to try and make me angry to try to improve my speech. It worked to a certain extent but it also made me nervous and tense. Another teacher didn't really know me or get to know me. One time he was presiding over a work period and I asked him if I could get something from my classroom and I just stood there and repeated I...I...I...I... He replied - "Is this a bloody song?" I felt awful and turned round and sat down. This comment legitimised and made worse the cruel mickey-taking that was already going on by the older boys."

And good teachers. However for as many bad reactions we heard about from teachers there were as many good ones and this is certainly very encouraging. It shows that co-operation between stammerers, teachers and therapists does already exist creating a supportive environment in which stammering school children can flourish. This is an important platform from which to build and these teachers are to be congratulated.

"Some of the other teachers were much more sympathetic. They would ask me how I felt about my speech and they'd be much more patient when I want to ask them a question. In the second year of prep school I was referred to an NHS speech therapist nearby - the school took the action. When the teachers got to know more how to handle it they were much better."

"When I had to make a speech for part of my GCSE Oral English exam, the teacher gave me encouragement and support which enabled me to do my speech well. At the end of my speech I was told - "it was not how you say it but what you say that is important". I got a good grade in the exam because the situation was well handled by the teacher."

A link governor co-ordinates between the governing bodies who control the schools and the provision of courses. We were pleased to meet a link governor (whose daughter stammers) of two schools in London. He has instigated courses for health and sex education, the media and finance in schools. He told us

"I feel governing bodies should be informed more about stammering because teachers report to the Head and the Head comes back to the governing bodies. The governing bodies need to know what is going on. The LEA Governing Body training courses are the quickest method of informing governors."

This is definitely an area our 'Help Stammering Pupils project' can look into in the future.

Note: since this article was written, we have recruited a 'Schools Liaison Officer' to address, among other things, the points raised above. - Webmaster

From the 'Helping Stammering Pupils Project' pages of the Autumn 1992 issue of 'Speaking Out'.