22nd October is International Stammering Awareness Day, so Stephanie Burgess, Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Trainer in Stammering at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust decided to make a film to collect the thoughts of people who stammer and raise awareness of the issues faced by them.
Stammering is when someone repeats, prolongs or gets stuck when trying to say sounds or words. There might also be signs of visible tension as the person works hard to get the word out. But it is different from the occasional repetition that everybody experiences.
Stammering is a neurological condition and this means that the way speech is produced in the brain is different for people who stammer. Stammering is the way some people talk.
Stephanie says:
“As a speech and language therapist working with people who stammer, I see the negative impact every day of the world’s very negative view towards stammering on the lives of the people I work with.
People who stammer are faced daily with intolerance and poor understanding of what stammering means. They frequently experience impatient or unhelpful responses as well as being teased, mimicked and laughed at. This can have a devastating impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
People who stammer don’t need pity; they just need understanding. I hope as many people as possible will watch this film to really try to understand the perspective of people who stammer and what they could do to make life easier for them.”
To watch the film click here.
For information and support on stammering go to stamma.org/
