Help for Stammering in the UK: Children, Teenagers and Adults

The NHS says stammering is when you repeat sounds or syllables, make sounds longer, or a word gets stuck or does not come out at all. It varies from person to person and from situation to situation, and someone might stammer for a while and then speak fairly fluently for a while. There are two main types: developmental stammering, the most common type, which starts in early childhood while speech and language are developing quickly, and acquired or late-onset stammering, which is relatively rare and can follow a head injury, a stroke or a progressive neurological condition, certain medicines, or psychological or emotional trauma. Source: NHS: stammering.

The NHS says it is not possible to say for sure why a child starts to stammer, but it is not caused by anything the parents have done. It says it is more common in boys than girls and that genes seem to play a part: around 2 in 3 people who stammer have a family history of it.

The NHS says you should get advice if you have any concerns about your child's speech or language development, and that treatment is often successful in pre-school children, so it is important to get advice as soon as possible. Talk to a GP or health visitor, who may refer your child to a speech and language therapist for an assessment. In many areas you can phone children's speech and language services directly and refer your child yourself.

If you are an adult who stammers and it is having a significant effect on your social and work life, the NHS says you may want to ask a GP to refer you to an SLT.

The NHS says there are different speech and language therapy approaches that can help people who stammer speak more easily, and that you will work with the therapist to choose a plan tailored to your child or you. This may involve:

• creating an environment where your child feels more relaxed and confident about talking
• strategies to increase fluency and develop communication skills
• working on feelings associated with stammering, such as fear and anxiety

The NHS adds that electronic devices to reduce stammering exist and can help some older children and adults, but they are not usually available on the NHS.

The NHS names Stamma (the British Stammering Association) as a source of information and support for people who stammer and for parents of children who stammer. Its helpline is 0808 802 0002 and it also offers webchat; check Stamma's website for current opening times.

If you would rather not wait, or want to choose who you see, you can see a private speech and language therapist. Speech and language therapists are regulated by the HCPC, and "speech and language therapist" is a protected title. See our guide to finding a speech and language therapist and the profession page on speech and language therapists. Other professionals may help with the feelings that go with stammering, such as anxiety or low confidence, including practitioner psychologists, counsellors and CBT therapists.

Whoever you choose, check their register (the HCPC register for occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dietitians and physiotherapists) and ask about fees, session length and what progress will look like. See questions to ask a private allied health professional. On Therapist Circle, each practitioner's registration is checked when they join, and their profile shows the register and number so you can check it yourself.