DEVELOPMENT OF STAMMERINGEARLY DYSFLUENCYAwareness Child/Young person unaware/unconcerned.Stammer Dysfluencies-mild,unhurried,lacking

tension or struggle and usually consists of repetitions of phrases and whole words.

Avoidance Child/Young person does not avoid words or situations.

BORDERLINE STAMMERINGAwareness Child/Youngpersonhassomeawareness/

someconcern,usuallywhenstammering.Stammer Stammersmaybetense,hurried.Maybe

prolongationsorblocksaswellasrepetitions of phrases and sounds.

Avoidance Child/Youngpersonmayoccasionallyavoid words or situations.

CONFIRMED STAMMERINGAwareness Child/Youngpersonisawareandmay

thinkaboutstammeringalotofthetime.Stammer Stammersmaybeverytense,hardattack

onwordsandlastseveralseconds-ormaybehiddensothatthereislessactualstammeringandthesymptomsmay ‘go underground’affectingbehaviour.

Avoidance Child/Youngpersonmayavoidagreatdeal-changewords,avoidsituations e.g.thephone,groups,maynotmakefriends,maychoosenon-speakingsubjectsatschool.

HOW TO REFER A CHILD/YOUNG PERSON WHO STAMMERSn Forteachersofpre-schoolagedorearlyschool-

agedchildrenwhomaynotbeawareoftheirfluencydifficulties,youshoulddiscussthereferralviatheStagedInterventionProcess.Consentmustbesoughtfromthechild’sparentsorcarerstorefertoSpeech and Language Therapy.

n Forteacherswhoareconcernedaboutanolderschoolagedchildorayoungperson’sfluency,itishelpful to discuss this with the child or young person inordertodeterminetheirlevelofconcern.Insomecases,theremaybesignsofovertstammeringbutminimalornosignsoffrustrationoravoidancefromthechildoryoungperson.Inthissituation,itis

advised to discuss with the older school aged child or young person whether a referral to Speech and Languagetherapywouldbehelpfulatthisstageornot.

Againifateachernoticessignsofstammeringinclass and the child or young person is showing signsoffrustrationandupset,thenitisbestfortheteacher,viatheStagedInterventionProcessto discuss with the child or young person and their parents/carers whether a referral to Speech andLanguageTherapyhasbeenalreadybeenconsideredandwhetherthiswouldbeofbenefit.

n AcrossthecityreferralscanbemadeviatheStagedInterventionProcess,bysendinginanappropriatereferralformtoeachlocalityorbycontactingtheTeamLeadersineachareabase:

North East Speech and Language Therapy, CommunityHealthPartnershipOffices, StobhillHospital, 300BalgrayhillRoad,G213UR Phone01412013399

North West Speech and Language Therapy, WestCentre,60KinfaunsDrive,G157TS Phone01412116180

South Speech and Language Therapy, SouthbankChildDevelopmentCentre, 207OldRutherglenRoad,G50RE Phone01412010961

Speech and Language Therapy, PollokHealthCentre, 21CowglenRoad,G536EQ Phone01415316843

LINKS WHICH MAY BE OF INTERESTBasic Informationwww.stammering.org/help-information/professionals-and-business/teachers/teachers-basic-information

Early Yearswww.stammering.org/help-information/professionals-and-business/teachers/our-website-early-years-workers

Primarywww.stammeringineducation.net/scotland/primary

Secondarywww.stammeringineducation.net/scotland/secondary

For Parents/Carersexpertparent.stammering.org

STAMMERINGGUIDANCEwithinEducationServices

Education Services54

STAMMERINGn Disruptstheforwardflowofspeechwithrepetition,

prolongingorblockingofwordsandsoundswithpossiblefacialtensionandextrabodymovement.Thepitch,toneandvolumeofthevoicemaybealtered.

n Hasnosinglecause,althoughtheremaybeageneticlink.Thereisnosingleordefinitecureandthereisnosinglebeststrategyforsupportingchildren/young people. Current research indicates thatthecauseofstammeringhasaphysiologicalbasisinthebrainstructure.

n Is found in every culture and language at an incidenceofabout1%oftheadultpopulationandisnotlinkedwithabilityorpersonalityprofiles.

n Isusuallymadeworsebystressandanxietyandcancomeandgo,eveninthesameconversation.

n UsuallystartsbetweentwoandfiveyearsandearlyinterventionclosetoonsetbyaSpeechandLanguageTherapistgivesthebestchanceofrecovery.Itisthoughtthatabout1in80childrenofschoolagedostammer,butwithmoderntherapyapproaches leading to recovery for young children thisnumbershouldcontinuetofall.

WHEN A CHILD/YOUNG PERSON STAMMERSn Aimtobuildself-esteemsothechild/youngperson

manageshis/herspeakingwithconfidence,evenwhenstammeringseverely.

n Ensurethattheotherchildren/youngpeoplearesupportiveintheirtalking,listeningandbehaviour.

n Givetimetofinish,anddonotinterruptorfinishoffwords.

n Listenattentively,andechobacksomecontentsothat the child/young person feels that what he/she saidismoreimportantthanhow he/she said it.

n Maintainnormaleyecontactanddonotsignalimpatience.Forexample,avoidfrequentlynodding; lookingatawatchorsurreptitiouslygettingonwith anothertaskwhilethechild/youngpersonisspeaking.

n Slowyourownspeechwithnaturalpauses,demonstratingthatthereisnoneedtorush.

b) Covert behaviours by the child/young personn Avoidingtalkingandgettingoutofsituations,where

talkingisexpected.n Behavinginwaysthatmaycoverupthestammer:

beingquietandhardworking,beingdifficult,andeventryingtodominateotherchildren/youngpeople.

n Compromisingonwhattheywouldliketodoorsay and seeing situations as an exposure of their stammering.

n Judgingopportunitiessolelyintermsoftheirstammer:forexampleschooltrips,visitstofriends’houses,andthendecidingtoavoidthem.

n Planningaheadintheirtalkingsothattheyarecontinuallyworryingaboutchoiceofwords.

n Talkingsoquietlythatyoucannothearwhatissaid.n Worryingaboutfriendships,simplesocialdemands

suchasbuyingsweets,payingbusfares,telephoning,andfeelinggenerallyworriedaboutwhatiscomingnext.

TEASING AND BULLYINGChildren/Youngpeoplewhostammerdoworryaboutthisandparents/carersareunderstandablyconcerned.Glasgowschoolsfollowpoliciestopreventbullying(www.goglasgow.org.uk/pages/show/576)andparents/carers and children/young people are encouraged to reportanyconcernsassoonaspossible.Allestablishmentsareexpectedtohavetheirownanti-bullyingpolicywhichshouldbeinlinewithboththeNationalApproachandEducationServicesguidelines.Everychild/young personneedstofeelabletosafelyapproachtheteacherwithaproblem.However,children/youngpeoplewhostammermayhaveproblemstalkingtotheirteacheraboutsuchanemotionalissueandcanbehelpedbystrategieswhichallowthemtogiveinformationinwritinge.g.aworrybox,etc.Strategiesto preventbullyingwillbeincorporatedinthehealthandwellbeingcurriculumthatemphasisesthediversityofthehumanfamily.Insomeschools,children/youngpeople who feel different are encouraged to give a shorttalktotheclasstocreatesomeempathywiththeirfeelings.Ifachild/youngpersonwhostammershastheconfidencetodothiswithsupportthatcanbehelpful. Itisadvisablefortheteachertoconsultwiththeparent/carerandtherapistbeforeconsideringanapproachtothe child/young person.

n Ifthechild/youngpersonisawareoftheirstammer,talkregularlywiththechild/youngpersontodiscusswhathelpshim/herandhowtomakespeakingtasksin class easier.

MONITOR FOR UNDERACHIEVEMENTChildren/Youngpeoplewhostammerhavethesame rangeofabilitiesandpersonalitytraitsaschildren/youngpeoplewhodonot.Itiseasytounderestimatetheabilityofachild/youngpersonwhostammersashe/shemaynotalwaysbeabletoexpresshisthoughtsand ideas. Teachers should trackachievementinrelationship to the potentialofthechild/youngperson,usingwhateverprocesses/systemsarefavouredintheirschool.Rememberthatjustbecauseachild/youngpersondoesnotappearabletotalk,itdoesnotmeanthat he/she does not understand.

WHAT TEACHERS NOTICEWhenachild/youngpersonstammersteachershaveobserved:

a) Overt behaviours by the child/young personn Appearing worried and anxious to rush away.n Blockingonawordorasound,andtryingtoforceit

out.n Changing words to an easier one. n Clenchinghands,tensingfacialmuscles.n Coughing.n Givingabruptanswers.n Gettingoutofbreath.n Losing eye contact.n Movinghead.n Prolonging sounds.n Pronouncing words differently.n Puttinghandsoveroraroundthemouth.n Repeating words and sounds.n Seemingtenseandanxious.n Speakinginafunnyvoice,suchasababyvoice.n Speakingmorequietly,orsometimesmoreloudly.n Talkingwhentheyfeelabletospeaksothatthey

mayinterruptorcalloutinclassandseemtoberude.

n Usingafillerwordsuchas,“like”,“and”,“y’know”,“sort of”,toactasarunintothespeaking.

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