I'm excited to attend STAMMAFest Global as a Youth Panel member

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Lauren

Lauren talks about her interest in stammering and what she hopes to get from our upcoming conference STAMMAFest Global.

Hello, I'm Lauren, I'm 25, I'm a newly qualified Speech and Language Therapist living in Glasgow and I'm really excited about going to STAMMAFest Global in a few week's time. I do not identify as being a person who stammers myself, but I feel privileged to have been welcomed into the stammering community, as we are all working together towards the common goal of breaking down the stigma behind stammering.

I initially chose to study as a Speech and Language Therapist because forming connections with people is so important to me, and I believe communication to be at the heart of this. My role is to support the wide variety of different communication styles of others, help people achieve meaningful goals that impact their daily life, and encourage them to embrace their differences. This could be anything from ordering a coffee at their favourite coffee shop, giving a presentation at work or reading their favourite book to their children.

Attending STAMMAFest Global is such an exciting opportunity to meet new people from all around the world. I am especially looking forward to exploring the world of stammering from different perspectives...

The reason I am so interested in working with individuals who stammer is the uniqueness of the condition. No two stammers are the same and the impact can vary hugely among individuals. The therapy journey is a collaborative process between the person who stammers and their therapist, and a relationship that often lasts many years.

Youth Panel & STAMMAFest Global

I am excited to attend STAMMAFest Global this August; this will be my first conference (of many, I hope!) and I'm going as a proud representative of the STAMMA Youth Panel. I joined the Panel a year ago after I saw an advert on the STAMMA website asking for applications. We have been meeting online every month to work towards improving the lives of young people who stammer and the event in Liverpool will be our first opportunity to meet face to face, from all corners of the UK. I enjoy being part of the Youth Panel because it is such a supportive group, which is particularly important to me, as I find it can be quite nerve-wracking talking on Zoom.

Attending STAMMAFest Global is such an exciting opportunity to meet new people from all around the world. I am especially looking forward to exploring the world of stammering from different perspectives such as arts, technology and science in the wide range of talks and workshops offered during the conference. Also, as I am interested in working with young people who stammer, I am hoping to attend the Family Day (on Saturday 27th August) to see some of the support available from STAMMA for this group, and gain knowledge I can pass on to families I work with in the future.

If you're going too, I'll see you there!

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