Using the 'bucket' analogy to show how demands on speech can result in stammering, and how to support someone who stammers.
Many people find that their stammer, or their child's stammer, can fluctuate from one day to the next, or in different situations.
To explain why, many speech & language therapists use an analogy called the 'Speech bucket'.
Let's look at stammering in children. Imagine a bucket of water. The bucket represents the child's capacity to talk. The water going into the bucket represents the demands made on their speech.
These demands can include:
- Time pressure — feeling rushed to speak quickly or being interrupted.
- Talking in a big group.
- Speaking in class.
- Talking to an authority figure, or unfamiliar people.
- Feeling tired, stressed, excited or frustrated.
- Using more complex language or speaking a second language.
- Cognitive (thinking) skills — children learn to talk before their cognitive skills fully develop. This means that translating thoughts and ideas into words may take more effort, especially when younger.
Overflow
When lots of water is poured into the bucket — or lots demands are made on their speech — the bucket can overflow. The overflowing water represents stammering.
The idea is that someone stammers when the demands on their talking exceeds their capacity to speak fluently.
You could also picture it as being like a seesaw or a pair of scales, one side tipping when the demands get bigger.
Stammering in adults
The analogy is not limited to children. Demands on speech in adults who stammer can include:
- Speaking on the phone.
- Speaking in large groups.
- Social situations like meeting new people or dating.
- Job interviews.
- Giving a presentation.
The water going into the bucket can also represent factors including the pressure to appear fluent and anticipation of words they might stammer on.
Using it to support someone who stammers
There are two ways to support someone who stammers thinking about this approach.
- If you reduce the demands on the person who stammers, they may find talking easier. In other words, making the environment less stressful for them. One way to do this is by not interrupting them or rushing them to answer.
- Helping younger children develop their speech and language skills. A speech & language therapist can help them to make it easier to cope with demands as they come.
Why can stammering sometimes reduce over time?
Some people find that as they get older, they stammer less.
This can be because as they get older, the size of their bucket might increase naturally. So, they can handle more demands without the bucket overflowing.
This can happen as their cognitive and linguistic skills grow. Or their stammer might change, or they might stammer less often as they are able to better cope with demands in their environment. Especially if we have made their environment as friendly as possible.
For some, going to speech & language therapy might also help them learn techniques to increase the size of their bucket (or their capacity to be fluent).
Therapy may also help a child's parents, carers or teachers learn how to reduce some of these demands to make it easier for them to speak.
Note that this isn't the case with everyone who stammers. The experience is different for everyone.
Where does the bucket analogy come from?
The speech bucket analogy has its roots in a model developed by researcher C. Woodruff Starkweather and has been around since the 1990s.
He came up with a model called the 'Demands and Capacities' model, or DCM. It aims to explain the internal/external factors why children might stammer more or less in different situations.
In this model, everyone has their own unique capacity for fluency which is influenced by genetic factors as well as their own speech-motor and language skills.
Final words
The DCM has been used for a long time, and for many people it feels like a great way to think about stammering.
However, it does not have a lot of research behind it, because it is very hard to measure. But it is a great place to start thinking about how you might be able to change your child's environment (their demands) so that they can better manage their own capacity for fluency.
Want to learn more? South Tees NHS speech & language therapist Jessie explains the demands and capacities model in this short video on YouTube called 'Why do some children stammer?'
What next?
- Become A STAMMA Member for free and join the community. We'll keep you updated with our activities.
- Get involved with the STAMMA community. Find an event, fundraise, share your story, volunteer, take part in research and more.
