Announcing 'Stammering Research' - Stammering Research - UCL
Announcing 'Stammering Research' - Stammering Research - UCL
Announcing 'Stammering Research' - Stammering Research - UCL
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<strong>Stammering</strong> <strong>Research</strong>. Vol. 1.<br />
company amongst those who know him and takes a great interest in practical, creative activities such as<br />
cooking. Robert is kind, considerate and approachable. After studying architecture at university he<br />
diversified into a range of artistic and creative ventures. He earns a living from freelance commissions.<br />
This interview reveals some of the struggles involved in coming to terms with dysfluent speaking.<br />
Question: Robert, what are your first memories about stammering?<br />
Answer: I have no specific memories regarding talking, although I can’t remember not stammering.<br />
My recollections seem very hazy. Before the age of eight I was not conscious of my stammer. I can<br />
remember feeling very miserable about my speech when I was in my teens. I may have blanked out<br />
bad experiences because they were too painful. This is more likely than feeling my stammer was<br />
unimportant. After I was eighteen my speech became something of great significance in my life. I<br />
tried to avoid talking and to a large extent could get away with not speaking much, but going to college<br />
meant I had to communicate without help from parents, family etc.<br />
I went to see a speech therapist when I was sixteen. In fact I was passed round several therapists. I<br />
remember two techniques I was introduced to. One was the Edinburgh Masker, which was supposed to<br />
block out the feedback mechanism so you didn’t hear yourself stammer. The other was prolonged<br />
speech, when you had to make the sounds longer and the rhythm smoother. Neither of these methods<br />
did much good and certainly did not make me feel any better about my speaking.<br />
Question: Robert, Do you see your stammer as an issue for Life?<br />
Answer: The stammer is still present at times but I do not regard it as important. I do not like the<br />
periods when I am dysfluent but I cope with them and feel much more confident about my ability to<br />
communicate effectively. It is a matter of putting some balance into one’s thinking. A stammer only<br />
assumes importance if you let it. After all, most other people only seem bothered about it if I am.<br />
Question: Robert, how do you think about your stammer?<br />
Answer: I’m not sure I can answer that one. I think I can cure the problem of my stammer - not the<br />
symptom itself. The symptom is something physically there which I have come to terms with and<br />
learnt how to cope with. The problem is how to live happily however one speaks. I tend to speak only<br />
when I have to. As a result I have learnt to listen and look and one positive aspect of my stammer is<br />
that I have become very observant. It’s impossible to tell how I would have been had I not stammered.<br />
Question: Robert, how has your stammer affected you most?<br />
Answer: If I were to speculate I’d say the stammer has certainly affected my relationships with other<br />
people. It probably resulted in me pursuing solitary rather than group activities. I have not felt<br />
comfortable in company where others are not aware of my stammer. I don’t know whether I am<br />
gregarious by nature as I have not given myself the opportunities to mix constantly with people. I like<br />
being with others, but am quite happy to be by myself.<br />
It is not easy to live with a stammer and cope with the reactions of those around you. My family<br />
tried to help me in the way they felt was best but like most people they didn’t always know what was<br />
the right thing to do. There is just so little general knowledge about communication difficulties so that<br />
people are uncomfortable about conversing with someone who has problems. Everyone ends up<br />
feeling embarrassed.<br />
The stammer may have altered my field of academic pursuit. Not being articulate is seen as a<br />
definite handicap both by stammerers and probably by other people. I feel sure dysfluency has led me<br />
to be reactive rather than proactive. I have developed a career that minimises social contact with others<br />
whether this is due solely or in part to the stammer, I cannot say.<br />
Question: What made you seek help for your stammer?<br />
Answer: When I came up to Oxford I was feeling pretty desperate. I was on my own and did not<br />
think I could cope with my speech. It was a very depressing experience. I was lucky because the<br />
course had recently started at the Apple House and I was in the right place at the right time. Although I<br />
had not experienced much success with previous therapy, I felt there was no alternative but to give this<br />
course a go. My situation was bad and I had to try to do something about it.<br />
Question: Robert, can you tell me how the Apple House course has helped you?<br />
Answer: I did my first course at nineteen, followed by two others. The whole experience completely<br />
changed my life. It developed my maturity. I had to think for myself and reason about my stammer<br />
and come to a conclusion about how to manage the problems it brought. Practical help was available<br />
to control the stammer, but I did not need this as much as the help for myself and a change in attitudes<br />
and feelings. From being totally negative about everything I slowly turned this round to a positive<br />
view on life. The group aspects of the course are important. People together support and encourage<br />
and it is good to understand that others are going through similar agonies. We can help each other.<br />
However, the exceptional aspect of the courses is Gerda herself. She has intuitive insight into our<br />
struggles. Her ability to sum up every individual accurately is amazing. She cares passionately about<br />
everybody and knows how to get them moving forward. Success is built on self-belief and Gerda<br />
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