Help for overlooked condition

Children’s speech and language therapists provide information sessions for parents in which they give in-depth advice on how to act early and help their child.

The team also provides intervention to support parents, children and young people to manage the stammer using approaches based on the individual needs of the child, young person and their family.

Therapy for older children and adults will not necessarily focus on ‘fluency’, though it may provide tools to help that. For older children and adults where the stammering is more established, it becomes more a case of learning to manage it effectively and reduce the impact stammering has on their lives.

If you are concerned about someone who has a stammer or if you stammer yourself you can contact the speech and language therapy department in the area in which you live. For children’s services there is a weekly ‘helpline’ on a Tuesday from 1pm-3pm in the Stirling office on 01786 434078 and a Thursday from 1pm-4pm in Falkirk office on 01324 673585. For adult services please call 01324 566591.

As well as speech and language therapy many people find self-help groups useful.

For anyone who would like to access support or get more information about stammering, the Scottish Stammering Network is the only charity in Scotland providing direct help to people who stammer through support groups, open days and awareness raising. At present support groups and open days are centred around Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fife but the charity is keen to expand into the Stirling area. James Stewart, chairperson of the Scottish Stammering Network, said “Stammering is a condition that is often overlooked in society and as a consequence people who stammer can sometimes struggle to have their voice heard. Last year we launched the #HearThePerson campaign which featured six videos from people who stammer setting out in their own words the challenges stammering can bring, from one person talking about the regret of not giving the eulogy at his father’s funeral to another highlighting life as a teenager with a stammer.”

All the videos as well as all the details for the charity are available from www. stammeringscotland.org.