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 also 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. 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 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.“
“I will forever be grateful for their kind and compassionate approach. The journey we have been on at the MPC has been incredible.“
One of the most powerful things I experienced was the sense of community. For the first time, I was surrounded by people who truly understood. I learned that there was support out there and I was not alone. I gained confidence in myself and began to open up. The experience helped shift my mindset. I stopped focusing on how I thought others perceived my speech and started to see that people value your behaviour and actions far more than your fluency.
If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this: you are not alone and asking for help is one of the bravest, most important things you can do. The MPC did not just help me find my voice; it helped me find pride in who I am.
To anyone going through a similar journey, embrace it. Speak with confidence. And know that your stammer does not make you any less, it makes you more. Because in the end, it is not a flaw. It is a superpower.
A Year at the MPC
Specialist Speech and Language therapists
helpline calls
hours of therapist support for parents, SLTs, teachers and GPs calling our free helpline
family assessments
charitably funded assessments
therapists trained reaching 7,000 more children across the globe
young people and their families participate in our intensive group therapy programme
charitably funded circus workshops to stretch comfort zones and build confidence
families attend our parent groups
Solution Focused Brief Therapy book published
How your money can help
means a parent, teacher, SLT or GP can talk to a specialist therapist for advice
funds a specialist assessment
funds a child’s place on our intensive group therapy programme for one year
funds a group of ten children/teens on our intensive group therapy programme for one year
funds a child’s travel and accommodation so affordability is not a barrier to accessing life-changing therapy
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