About cluttering

Cluttering is when someone

• seems to speak very quickly and in a jerky way
• repeats words or phrases a lot so they are hard to follow
• leaves out syllables in words, especially longer words (i.e. “puter” for “computer”)
• pauses in unusual places
• has an unusual rhythm when they speak
• blurs words together (i.e. “incredible” = “incrible”)

People who clutter don’t always know when other people find them hard to follow. They may know that people often tell them to slow down or not mumble but don’t really know why. Less is known about cluttering than stuttering.

How therapy can help

Learn how to:

• look out for listener reactions and spot clues when someone hasn’t understood so you can make your message clearer
• use more pauses (this helps you sound slower and gives the listener more time to process what you’re saying)
• over-emphasise sounds, especially on critical words, so your speech sounds clearer
• develop your overall communication skills
• develop your confidence in communicating.

Jessica, age 14, shares her Cluttering story

Cluttering- have you heard of it? Has anyone ever told you? I’m guessing not. You see, cluttering is a speech disorder (like stuttering) that makes the speech jerky and rapid, making the person’s speech difficult to understand. As a result of this, those listening to people with cluttered speech often switch off and lose interest- this unjust treatment needs to come to an end and it will today.
But the big question is – how can we support someone who clutters?

• Active listening, make sure you never lose interest in what they’re saying and give them your full attention
• Don’t finish their sentences- they are just as able to speak as you are, it just takes them a bit of extra time!
• Create a low-pressure conversation environment.
  However, speech is not the only thing affected by cluttering- it impacts so much more, from organisation to planning skills. For me, cluttering makes it increasingly hard to plan what I’m going to say, whether that’s in an essay at school or just in everyday speech. I also really struggle planning what I do with my time and carrying out simple tasks- making decisions really hard for me. As you can probably gather by now, I find cluttering very frustrating.
  
• I am a performer so it is really important for me to be equipped with the right tools to ensure I can be as clear as possible, especially when I am speaking on stage.
  Thanks to the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering, I have learnt a lot about cluttering over the past year and the things that help me include:
  • Focussing on my speech flow and pace – I record myself speaking and watch it back to see how I sound.
  • Trying to not overthink things – sometimes I worry about what people will think about what I’m going to say and that can make cluttering worse.
  • Taking my time to speak – I am trying to structure what I want to say before I actually say it, which helps my speech sound clearer.

I really want to raise awareness about cluttering and how it can affect someone. Although I am a confident person it can still be hard when I feel like I haven’t been heard or understood but if people know more about what it means it will hopefully make it easier for people like me who just need a little patience and empathy from time to time.
My dream is to perform on a West End stage and represent all those people like me who clutter or stammer and prove that anything is possible.

Find out more about cluttering

Stamma: https://stamma.org/about-stammering/variations-complications

SFA: https://stutteringhelp.org/cluttering

Internal Cluttering Online Conference 2010: http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/ica1/icacon1.html

International Cluttering Association (ICA): ICA website (google.com)

Too Fast for Words: www.toofastforwords.com

Find out how to get help.

Find out about the MPC assessment clinic.