Communicating with people who stammer

Joseph Sheehan, a famous American speech therapist who stammered himself, likened stammering to an iceberg. The iceberg image suggests that for most people who stammer, the bigger part of the problem is often the part that others don't see i.e. the feelings, thoughts and avoidances.

This a useful way of describing stammering because it acknowledges both the 'outside'/external stammering behaviours and the more internal, emotional/avoidance related aspects.

Both words mean the same thing and are used interchangeably. Another term used mainly by speech and language therapists is 'dysfluency'.

When most of us speak, words flow smoothly. We may pause to think, or deliberately repeat certain words, but generally there is no struggle to say words or sounds, or to move on to saying the next word.

Stammering is a disruption to the natural flow of speech. If you stammer, you may struggle to communicate because you get stuck on certain words or sounds. A person who stammers may:

• repeat sounds,
• repeat syllables,
• repeat whole words or phrases,
• prolong or draw out sounds,
• pause in the middle of a word,
• get stuck or blocked, where the mouth is in position to speak but no sound comes out,
• breathe while trying to speak or try to speak in one breath,
• appear tense or try to physically push the words out with gestures like clenching a fist or jerking their head to one side.

Stammering not only affects speech - but it is also likely to lead to avoidance as well as feelings and emotions such as worry, frustration, anxiety, lack of self-confidence, and embarrassment.

• 1% of the population stammers.
• Stammering usually starts in early childhood. Approximately 5% of children stammer.
• Stammering affects the same number of boys and girls in childhood.
• Girls are more likely to stop stammering over time so more men than women stammer - the ratio is about 4:1; but
• There is no known single cause of stammering. It sometimes runs in families.
• Stammering occurs across all cultures, races and social groups.
• People who stammer often avoid problem words or difficult speaking situations. 
• We believe there is no real cure for stammering, but therapy can lead to significant change both in terms of feelings and fluency.
• People who stammer often avoid speaking in a number of situations and often change words or swap sentences around in a bid to avoid stammering.

Here's a few tips on how to effectively communicate with somebody with a stammer:

• Be patient. Allow them time to talk and try not to interrupt or speak over them.
• Let the person who stammers finish their sentences. Don’t try to guess what they are saying or finish their sentence for them.
• Understand that stammering is a communication difficulty and not a mental disability.
• Just treat people who stammer like anyone else.
• Keep eye contact with the person you’re speaking to – it helps let them know you’re engaged.
• Focus on the content of what they are saying, not the stammer.

While there is no known ‘cure’ or quick fix for stammering, Speech Therapy is an effective approach to change. Most speech therapy in the UK takes place within the NHS, but provision varies across the nation.

At City Lit, we provide Speech Therapy for adults with courses online and in-person in London. We believe there are advantages to providing speech therapy within an educational environment and in a group setting.

Learn more: Our approach for people who stammer