Stammering Pride & Prejudice, City Lit, 3rd Nov 2016

I must admit I arrived with a little apprehension, this was the first time I had attended a public event related to stammering. I was aware that I was wearing two hats, as a person who stammers and a psychologist who has a special interest in working with PWS. The opening remarks by Mark Malcomson … Read more

Fluent made language

Being a stammerer, I believe, has the ability to provide an individual with certain positive attributes. One of the attributes I have found is a great respect for language. The experience of not saying what you want to makes you acutely appreciate the power of the right words. Whether it is in ordering in a … Read more

Stammering activism and speech and language therapy: an inside view

    This month Sam is guest blogger for the Did I Stutter? Project – you may read her blog here

It’s time to take back our speech: Did I stutter?

Cathy and Sam invited me to discuss the Did I Stutter Project, a recently launched disability activist project for stutterers by stutterers, created by myself, Zach Richter, and Erin Schick this summer. Put most simply, we are a group of stutterers who want to be heard on our own terms, with two main goals: 1) … Read more

Reflections on my first BSA Conference: inspiration, connection, courage and community

A week later and I am still feeling buoyed up by the positivity of the British Stammering Association’s National 2014 Conference, held in association with the Scottish Stammering Network in Glasgow. I was not sure what to expect as I made the long train journey north on Friday 22nd August, arriving just in time to … Read more

Stammering and the social model of disability: challenge and opportunity

Where does the real problem of stammering lie? How does society communicate its values and norms about fluency and how does this affect people who stammer? How does the SLT tread the delicate path between helping their client manage their stammering more effectively (and increase ease of communication) without reinforcing unhelpful ideas about stammering (and … Read more

Embracing vulnerability

Having recently been signposted to the photos and videos Steven Halliday has put together on the British Stammering Association Twitter page, I came across a fascinating speech by the actress, Emily Blunt at an American Institute for Stuttering Gala Dinner in 2009. (Listen here)         My initial response was one of surprise … Read more