All ages
Stammering
For children, teenagers and adults. We work on communicating with confidence, and we do not treat stammering as a fault to be hidden.
Many young children stammer for a while as their language grows, and many stop. It is still worth talking to someone early, particularly if it has lasted more than six months, or your child is upset by it.
With little ones, we work mainly with parents, on how the family talks at home: slowing things down, one-to-one time, and not finishing their sentences. With older children and adults we talk about what stammering is like for them, what they avoid, and what they would like to do differently.
We do not promise fluency. Some people find their speech changes a lot, and some are happier and more confident while still stammering, and that counts. Stamma, the British Stammering Association, is a good place to meet other people who stammer.
What is included
- A long conversation with you, and your child if appropriate
- Work with the family, for under-sevens
- A letter to school or work if you want one
- Details of Stamma and local groups
What it costs
A first appointment is £95 for an hour, and sessions are £70 for forty-five minutes. There are no block bookings. We review every six sessions. NHS therapy is free, and we will tell you how to ask for it. It can sit alongside what we do.
Questions about stammering
Did I cause it?
No. Parents do not cause stammering, and neither does bilingualism. It often runs in families, and is to do with how the brain organises speech.
Should I tell them to slow down?
Please do not. It rarely helps, and it can make children self-conscious. Slowing down your own speech is more useful.
Start with a free phone call.
Fifteen minutes, with no obligation. We listen and tell you honestly whether you need us, the NHS, or nothing yet.