Stammering Help and Advice

The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children is running a Stammering Information Programme whose aim is to raise awareness within the education system in England of the impact of stammering on the lives of young people. This 2-year project is Government funded and will be completed in December 2010.

If you’re a parent with concerns about your child’s speech, or a school teacher and a child in class has a stammer, what should you do if:

1. They get stuck when trying to speak at home or in class?
2. They seem anxious about reading aloud or answering the register?
3. Other children ask why their stammering friend/
classmate `talks funny`?

The Michael Palin Centre’s team of expert therapists has produced a short DVD entitled “Wait, wait, I’m not finished yet….”, together with comprehensive advice leaflets. The DVD contains an informative, inspiring and moving account from children and young people, describing how their stammer affects their daily life and what sort of help they would like to receive from school staff.

Over 3,000 copies of the DVD have now been given out via a combination of awareness raising workshops run by the speech and language therapy workforce across England and direct mailing of the DVD to education staff.

Further information on how to help a child who stammers may be obtained via the Michael Palin Centre website: www.stammeringcentre.org

If you would like a free copy of the DVD please contact stammering.information@islingtonpct.nhs.uk