Adult Stammering Specialist

Adults Who Stammer

What is stammering?

Approximately one person in every hundred stammers. People stammer in different ways so that the term 'stammering' or ‘stuttering’ and ‘dysfluency’ cover a wide range of behaviours. Some people may get blocked or stuck on a certain word or sound, another may repeat sounds, another may go back in speech and take a run at the difficult word and yet another may do all of these things and many more.

There are some people who fear stammering openly, and as a result, have lots of 'tricks' to avoid stammering. For example, switching words they think they will stammer on and not participating in situations where they have stammered in the past. For some others may not even know they stammer as the levels of avoidance can result in apparent fluency.

Stammering usually starts in early childhood around the age of three and a half years but can start at any time. As you get older you may have started to develop feelings and thoughts about stammering which have become a part of your stammer. Stammering is a speech problem, as well as a problem of the negative feelings and thoughts associated with the act of speaking.

What can you do to help?

Speech and Language Therapy is available at a specialist clinic in Hereford on an individual basis and self- referrals are acceptable. Therapy will help you explore and identify your individual stammering behaviours and feelings and look at specific ways to help your stammering.

For further information and support you can access the British Stammering Association website:

British Stammering Association