Stammering: more than just words

“I would avoid any situation that involved even a little bit of talking.  I was very isolated from my friends. I experienced lots of bullying and was so afraid of everyday activity. I would never go to a sports club because I had so much anxiety about saying my name.”

For parents fear and uncertainty about their child’s future can be overwhelming: “Even at the age of 9, he would say ‘I will never get a job because I can’t even say my own name’. This was heart breaking to hear. His feelings about his stammer prevented him from participating in school, he felt he could not answer questions in class, attend the clubs he wanted or socialise with friends.”

Stammering, or stuttering, is not just about getting words out. It can impact a young person’s confidence, wellbeing, their academic, career and life choices. Parents and wider family can feel helpless and fearful of what the future holds for their children.

Evidence shows specialist therapy can be life changing. Our expert speech and language therapists focus on understanding each child’s experience of stammering to help them find their voice and feel valued for what they say, not how they say it.

Your donation can help unlock access to life changing therapy when children and families need it most.

“My time with the MPC was generously charity funded. I accessed individual and group therapy as a young adult. The support has been invaluable. I applied to university, which was such a tough thought for so many years. I’m now a tennis coach, go on holidays without my parents. I can now speak for myself and not need to rely on others or isolate myself. It has also given me a large support network of young adults who stammer. ” 

“He returned to school, wrote a PowerPoint about stammering, how to listen and help children who stammer, and with the help of his teacher, presented this to every year group in school. This was a huge thing for him, as previously he felt humiliation and shame about his stammer.

Returning home from the course, his confidence and outlook on life had dramatically increased.

All of this was only possible due to the timely, sensitive and expert advice and support from the therapists at the MPC and I will forever be grateful for their kind and compassionate approach. The journey we have been on at the MPC has been incredible.”