Supporting Pupils Who Stammer

Does a child in your class stammer? As a teacher, you can make a real difference to how confident and included they feel in the classroom.

It doesn't take much to provide the right support. Small changes can reduce anxiety and help a child participate fully.

An added bonus is that everyone in the class will benefit when communication is encouraged and supported.

Common mistakes to avoid

Even with the best intentions, some responses can make speaking harder for a child who stammers.

Avoid:

• interrupting or speaking for the child
• rushing them or moving on too quickly
• drawing attention to their speech in front of others
• assuming they're shy, nervous or less able.

Get to know your student a bit more and see what they're comfortable with... that will increase their confidence quite a lot.

(Teacher Abed Ahmed, who stammers himself)

In the classroom

Children who stammer may:

• worry intensely about being called on to speak, read aloud or answer the register
• want to answer a question but hesitate to put their hand up
• not ask for help if they need it
• give a very brief answer to a question
• try to hide their stammer. They might change words, say less or avoid speaking altogether
• worry about being teased, mocked or bullied for sounding different.

What helps

• Give thinking and speaking time.
• Allow alternatives to speaking.
• Create an environment where everyone is listened to patiently.

Note: All young people who stammer are unique. Some may not be bothered by their stammer. Other children may feel embarrassed or worried about how they talk. How they feel about their stammer may also change over time.

Want more detail?

Below you'll find guidance on:

• what stammering is and how it can affect children
• speaking with pupils who stammer
• working with parents & carers
• handling bullying and teasing
• making reasonable adjustments
• further resources and support.

About stammering

Stammering (also known as stuttering) is a neurological difference. It has nothing to do with a child's disposition or abilities. It's just how they talk.

Read our page What Is Stammering? to find out how to recognise stammering.

Reactions to their stammer can make a child fear speaking, worried they'll be mocked, teased or bullied for sounding different.

As a result, they might:

• become anxious, distressed and reluctant to speak
• withdraw from friendship groups or become less sociable
• try and avoid coming in to class if they know they'll have to speak.

Tips: overview

If you notice a difference in how a child feels about their speech, try some of our tips below on how to help. Or you could ask them.

Talk to the child about their stammering in a sensitive and open way and ask what you can do to help. Too often stammering is the 'elephant in the room'. Children can grow up feeling there's something wrong or shameful about having a stammer.

Not every child will need all of these, but they will help to make the environment easier. Many of these strategies can also help children with language difficulties or who have English as a second language.

Changes you can make

• Answering the register may be hard for the child who stammers. Consider alternative ways for them to respond. Ask everyone to do this so the child doesn't feel singled out.
• Reading out loud can also be tricky. Ask the child if they'd like to go first, as waiting for their turn can make them feel anxious. Or ask them to read together with another child. This can take the pressure off them and make them feel more comfortable.
• If a child who stammers does put up their hand to answer a question, try not to keep them waiting too long for their turn. This can increase anxiety.
• Create a classroom policy that encourages a relaxed reading pace. This may help the child who stammers as well as any slower or more hesitant readers.
• Go round the class to check if everyone is following OK. This will make the child who stammers more likely to let you know if they haven’t understood something.
• For older children, if you think they might know the answer to a question, ask them if they would like to have a go at answering it. It's best to ask them first in a one-to-one chat if they'd be comfortable with you doing this.

Primary school tips

Here are some more tips that can help primary school children.

• Include speaking tasks into your lesson planning where the child is likely to be more fluent. For example, reciting familiar lists like the days of the week or counting. Or, singing or speaking familiar words with a strong rhythm as in nursery rhymes or poetry.
• Praise the child for things they are doing well. This will help to build self-esteem and confidence. Do not praise them only when they are speaking fluently.
• Work towards reading in front of the class gradually. You could start by asking the child to read to you alone outside of the lesson. Follow this by bringing in a classroom support assistant or one of the child's friends. Then in small groups, before building up to reading in front of the whole class.  

Watch the video 'Wait wait, I've not finished yet' made by the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering. In it, primary school children talk about the challenges they face and how teachers can support them.

Secondary school tips

Changing from primary to secondary schools can be challenging for any child. For a child who stammers it can be even more so, with many more teachers to have to speak to and new classmates to meet and introduce yourself to.

Have regular friendly informal chats with the child about how things are going. Ask them directly what help they might need. By the time a child is in secondary school, they usually know what can make things easier for them. 

Including them in the process will help them to feel in control. It can also make a big difference to their well-being and confidence.

Read Olivia's article about working with sixth form tutors to create a safe space for her stammer.

Still concerned? Want more help?

Speak to the school SENCO if you want more advice or don't feel confident to support a child yourself.

You could talk to the child's parents. Ask them whether their child may benefit from speech & language therapy. Share our For Parents section.

If you know a child is having speech & language therapy, ask their parents if you can speak to their therapist. This can help you discuss how you can support the child. You could even arrange a meeting between you, the child and the speech & language therapist (SLT) so you're all working together. 

The SLT might suggest organising a talk about stammering to the class, which the child could be involved in. This can give them the opportunity to educate their classmates about stammering and what they can do to help.

Handling bullying

Children who stammer are at a greater risk of being teased or bullied at school, which can have long-term consequences for their mental well-being. 

Be on the alert for any teasing or bullying in the classroom or in the playground. If you suspect a child is being teased or bullied, take action immediately. It's not acceptable to mock someone for the way that they talk.

If the child is at secondary school, try making time to discuss your school's antibullying policy during personal health and social education (PHSE) lessons.

Resources

Reasonable adjustments guide

Stammering can be a disability under the Equality Act and the Disability Discrimination Act. See Is Stammering A Disability?

Therefore, schools have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments for pupils who stammer if they need them. This could be changes to oral presentations or other assessments, for example. 

Download our 'Reasonable adjustments for pupils who stammer' guide below.

Leaflets

You can download our leaflet 'Stammering: A Teacher's Guide below or order physical copies for free.

Videos

'Tips for teachers'. 
Ex-STAMMA Trustee and teacher Abed Ahmed presents (produced by Action for Stammering Children).

Working with, teaching and employing people who stammer. Our webinar on ways to create an inclusive environment for people who stammer at your workplace, school, university or institution. Recorded in 2020. Watch below.

'How to support secondary school pupils who stammer' and 'How to support pupils who stammer — top tips'
Videos made by Maddie and her speech & language therapist Anna Prince from Sirona Care & Health NHS.

Article

'My tips for supporting pupils who stammer': award-winning teacher Abed Ahmed, who stammers himself, gives some suggestions for teachers.

Podcast

Our old podcast Around The Block has an episode called 'School Stories', where hosts Gemma & Matty share their experiences of stammering at school and discuss how they would have liked to have been treated. 

At 25m 46s, teacher Abed Ahmed gives tips for teachers on how to make the classroom a stammering-friendly environment for children who stammer, as well as tips for pupils who stammer.

Other resources

The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering has some great resources for teachers, including a short video and suggestion sheets.

'Let's talk about stammering'. An interactive resource from Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, which sets out to 'bust myths and highlight evidence-based facts about stammering'. You need to set up an account to access it.

'Just Listen' schools awareness project. An assistant headteacher has created a set of resources for students or members of staff who stammer who might want to do a talk about stammering to a class or assembly. Read more and download the resources on our 'Just Listen' project news article.

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