Teachers - secondary school children
Some tips for teachers to support secondary school aged pupils who stammer
- The Stammering Information Programme short film (click here) raises awareness among all education staff about stammering and how to support the pupil who stammers in school
- Arrange a one-to-one session to acknowledge the stammering and to discuss alternative strategies which might be helpful for reducing pressures in areas such as registration, debates, presentations
- Try to be flexible about oral tasks/exams - are there alternatives? Does the task have to be given a time limit? Does it have to be in front of a large group?
- Refer the pupil to a Speech and Language Therapist if required/requested
- Give them opportunities to talk and give them time to speak
- Try to use the same eye contact as you would with a fluent student
- Speak in a calm manner and try to appear at ease, rather than rushing
- Resist the temptation to guess the word or to finish the sentence
- Listen to what they are saying, not how they are talking
- Share information amongst teaching staff, particularly as pupils transition to a new class
- Keep cover and supply teachers up to date with information too
- Contact the pupil's Speech and Language Therapist to discuss concerns and ways to manage stammering in class
Last updated19 Jun 2019