Stammering At School

How to make the most of primary or secondary school if you stammer.

*If you are a teacher looking to support a child who stammers, see our Guide For Teachers page.

Life at school can be a lot of fun. But it can also be really difficult if you stammer. You might be worried about answering the register or reading aloud in class. Or about how classmates will react if you stammer. 

It doesn't have to be like this and there are things that can help you. Stammering might be on your mind a lot now. But that can change and you'll probably feel differently as you grow older. 

My stammer really affected me at school. My English teacher didn't know why I refused to speak during presentations and I sat at the back to avoid the spotlight.

Read Asif's story

Friends

Talking to people at school and making friends isn't always easy if you stammer. You might be worried about what someone might think or if they'll laugh at you. 

You don't have to change who you are to make friends. A good friend will like you for who you are, not the way you talk. Find out about clubs or activities you're interested in. There you'll find likeminded people who are into the same things.

Talking about stammering

It can be scary to tell people that you stammer. You might not want anyone to find out about it. Or you might hope that if you don't talk about it, then it will go away. But stammering doesn't work like that. 

When you first meet someone, it's your choice if you want to tell them that you stammer. Some people find it helpful to mention it. If you're worried about how others will react, telling them gets it out there so you don't have to keep worrying.

You could say, for example, "Hi, I'm Sam. I sometimes stammer so I might have silent blocks or repeat sounds. I just need a bit more time to speak, that's all".

The more people understand stammering, the more supportive they might be. It can also help build your confidence and show people that it's just stammering, nothing more.

Some people even find it helpful to give a talk to their class about stammering. If you fancy doing this, ask your teacher about it. If you have a speech & language therapist, they could help you prepare a talk, or maybe come and do it with/for you.

But if you don't feel like telling people, that's completely OK.

Negative reactions

If someone laughs or makes a joke, it might be because they've never met someone who stammers before. Or that they don't know much about it. They might feel awkward if you stammer and not know what to do. This could be a chance for you to tell them about it. Show them that it's not what they might think it is. It's just how you talk sometimes.

Telling a teacher or tutor

You might find it helpful to tell your teacher about stammering. Teachers want you to feel happy at school, so they should be glad that you tell them. Explain how school can be hard for you.

We know this can be tough. But being open about stammering will help other people understand what it's like for you. It will help them find out what they can do to support you.

If you're worried about talking to a teacher, why not try someone you trust first? It could be a friend, a brother or sister, or your parents. Your parents could even come with you to talk with your teacher about it. 

If you're at secondary school, there might be a 'Student Welfare' department. If you don't feel comfortable speaking to a teacher, try going there. They are there to help with your wellbeing.

You can ask for changes

Not everyone needs extra support at school for their stammer. But if you do, it's OK to ask for help. 

Talk with your teachers about situations that worry you. You can ask for things to be changed to make them less stressful. These are called 'reasonable adjustments'. It's the law for schools to make these changes for you.

For example, do you feel pressure when you have to wait for your turn to read aloud in class? If so, ask your teacher if you can go first. Or if you can give them a sign to let them know when you want your turn.

You could ask you teacher to change the way you answer the register. Or how you answer questions in class. Or you could ask for extra time for GCSE oral tests.

We've got lots more examples in our 'Reasonable adjustments for students' guide. Download it below. See which ones would help you and ask your teacher to make those changes.

Contact us and we can help you with this. Start a webchat, email help@stamma.org or phone 0808 802 0002.

My new sixth form were really eager to be inclusive and asked what adjustments would make things easier for me.

Read how Olivia's teachers helped make a safe space for stammering.

Also, read how our helpline team helped a parent get extra time for their child's GCSE French exam.

Bullying & teasing

Bullying can happen. Sometimes people might tease or bully you because you stammer. It's important to remember that it is not your fault. It is not right and it's not acceptable. 

Often bullies are looking for a reaction and may lose interest if you do not react or respond. 

If you're able to talk openly about stammering, it can be the best defence against teasing or bullying. If your reaction is "It's just a stammer, so what?", bullies have less to work with. But this isn't always the case.

Getting help for bullying

It might feel scary to talk about bullying and it can be hard to describe. Telling someone you trust like a teacher or your parent can help. They can do things to stop the bullying. Talking about it with them can help with how you're feeling too. If you feel worried about talking to someone, you could always write down a message to give them. 

If bullying has happened online, there are things you can do. Where possible, block people who are posting hurtful things. Then report them to the platform they posted on. For help contacting social media websites, the organisation CEOP Education can help. They can show you what to do next. 

Need to talk to someone about bullying? Visit the Childline website to learn more about their helpline, toolbox and other online support.

Getting Extra Support

If you feel like you need extra help with your speech, there are options. See Children's (& teenager's) Stammering Therapy Options for how to get speech & language therapy. It also has details of stammering courses.

Tell your parents about our online 'Parent2Parent' support groups. There they can meet other parents and share experiences and tips to help you at school.

Helpful links & resources

• Listen to an episode of our podcast Around The Block. In it, hosts Gemma & Matty share their stories of stammering at school.