Stammering or stuttering

First Community's Adult Speech and Language Therapy team provide: 

• 1:1 therapy to help people manage stammering
• Group support
• Signposting to other support.

Please contact your GP if you would like to be referred. 

Information about stammering

Stammering or stuttering (know as Dysfluency) is a relatively common speech problem in childhood but it can also persist into adulthood. It's a difference in the way some people speak. Everyone's stammer is unique and everyone stammers differently. 

It is characterised by: the repetition of sounds or syllables , prolonging sounds , or pausing or 'blocking'.  It usually occurs at the beginning of speech, and people will often avoid certain words or speaking situations to try to hide it. Stammering varies in severity from person to person. A person might find that they have periods of stammering followed by times when they speak relatively fluently.

Definition taken from:  http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Stammering/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Did you know

• 1% of adults stammer
• Someone who stutters might repeat sounds or words e.g. My name is J-J-J-J-John
• Someone who stutters might stretch or prolong sounds e.g. Can you read me a sssssstory?
• Someone who stutters might silently block where a sound gets stuck e.g.  ---------- Can I have .
• People who stammer are not nervous or anxious
• People can stammer less on some days or in certain situations, and more in others
• Lots of people find they stammer more when they are tired
• Around 60% of people who stammer have a family member who stammers or used to stammer
• Stammering often has a genetic link, meaning it can run in families.