Announcing 'Stammering Research' - Stammering Research - UCL

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