If your child is under 6, the first step is to get a referral to the Speech and Language Therapy team. They will call you to talk about your child and give you some advice. They will also suggest you join a Parent Workshop run by the Stammering Support Service. These workshops happen once a term, either online or in person. They give you more information and tips on how to help your child with their stammer at home.

What to Expect at Your First Appointment

Your first appointment will be a phone call between a therapist and you (the parent or carer). Your child doesn’t need to be there. The call will last about 30–40 minutes.

During the call, the therapist will ask some background questions and give you some advice and suggestions. They will also recommend that you attend the next Parent Workshop.

If your child needs more help, the therapist will talk with you about what further support might be needed.

If there are serious concerns about how your child is doing with their stammer at school, then 1 or 2 sessions might be arranged with your child. These could happen at the clinic (Reginald Centre) or at school. These sessions are mainly to help give advice to your child’s teachers.

Teachers can also join an online stammering training workshop each term, run by the Children’s Speech and Language Therapy team.

Support for Children Aged 8 and Over

If your child is 8 or older, the first step is a phone call with you (the parent or carer). You’ll also be invited to a Parent Workshop. After that, your child will be invited to join a group therapy session at the Stammering Support Service (SSS) clinic.

Group therapy is offered first because it helps build confidence and lets children meet others who stammer, so they don’t feel alone.

Groups are run throughout the year for:

• Primary school children (Years 3–6)
• High school students (Years 7–11)

Each group runs for 5–6 weeks, with one session per week. Sessions are 1 hour long and happen either in the morning (9:30–10:30am) or after school (3:30–4:30pm).

Whilst you are waiting for support from our team, you can refer to the Stamma charity website (British Stammering Association) who run a free helpline on 0808 802 0002 (open weekdays 10:00am-12:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm) and an email support service at help@stamma.org.

You can also get further information and advice from Action for Stammering Children who provide support for families of children and young people who stammer.

There is also a free app called Penguin for parents and carers of children who stammer, which provides tools for you to feel more confident about supporting your child’s stammer at home – visit the penguin (benetalk.com) website for more information.

We offer a stammering support service for adults (18 and over) who stammer. This service is based at the Reginald Centre clinic in Chapeltown. We know that it might be the first time someone talks about their stammer or how it affects their life. Our aim is to create a calm, safe, and honest space where you can discuss your stammer openly, and together, we can find ways to support you. We encourage anyone who finds their stammer hard to manage, or feels it’s affecting their emotional, social, or daily life, to take the important step of seeking help.

Adults can refer themselves to our service by calling, emailing, or filling out a referral form. Carers, GPs, and other medical professionals can also make referrals. You can find and download the referral form on our website under the “Contact and Referral Details” section. Please note, there is one form for all ages (children, young people, and adults) – please tick the relevant sections for your age group.

Whilst you are waiting for support from our team, we suggest you refer to the Stamma charity website (British Stammering Association). Stamma also run a free helpline on 0808 802 0002 (open weekdays 10:00am-12:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm) and an email support service at help@stamma.org.