Stammering

I saw an interesting programme last night, all about it. It featured lots of young people who were cursed by stammering. These were all youngsters who should be having fun and mixing with their peers freely. One young girl had been denied treatment on the NHS as her problem was diagnosed as not being severe enough. Therefore she was stuck on waiting list to see a speech therapist, while her stammer worsened. She was particularly concerned because she was due to start high school and knew that the bullying that accompanies stammering would get worse. It touched me tremendously, because I suffered quite badly, and still can struggle at times. I was born tongue tied, where a flap of skin holds your tongue in place and prevents it moving freely. As a baby I struggled to feed properly, and it wasn't until the flap of skin was cut that I was able to use my tongue normally. This had a knock on effect when it came to my speech development, and I developed a stammer. My stammer was not a severe one, but the effect can be crippling. As a child I would struggle to form the start of a sentence, but once I got going I would be fine. I've always had a sharp mind, and would often have something funny to say, but, by the time you've got it out with a stammer, the moment is often lost. I went to speech therapy and was told about breathing control, which certainly helped me, as it did some of the children featured in the programme. Similarly to them I always hated someone trying to finish my sentences for me, but it seems to be human nature to try and help someone out who appears to be in difficulty I guess. I can still suffer today, although not many people have noticed my stammer. I tend to struggle where I'm in a queue and rehearsing what I'm going to say when it's my turn. Even a simple request can turn into an horrendous experience. Quite often prefacing what I want to say with an "Er," can get me over the hurdle of starting a sentence. The programme took me back to my youth though and the feelings of frustration and embarassment that overwhelm you when you are literally stuck for words.