Abstract

Parents and teachers of children who stammer (or stutter) may see their child suffering with embarrassment, frustration or anxiety but feel at a loss as to how best to help.

This book explains the characteristics of stammering and uses illuminating first-hand accounts to demonstrate the common feelings of anguish experienced and provide clarity on what the child is likely to need in terms of support at home, school and in social situations. Packed with helpful advice for carers about how to build a child's confidence, it presents a variety of techniques and tips to alleviate the stammer and improve self-esteem and school performance.

This accessible resource will shed light on the perplexing nature of stammers, enabling those who care for children affected to find answers and get the best possible help.

Understanding Stammering or Stuttering provides an informative and engaging introduction to stuttering for parents, teachers, and others in the lives of people who stutter... What most sets this book apart is its focus on the human experience of those who stutter and their families... Kelman and Whyte have performed a great service by giving those who stutter a clear voice in how they want to be viewed and treated by the larger society.
ForeWord
Understanding Stammering or Stuttering provides an informative and engaging introduction to stuttering for parents, teachers, and others in the lives of people who stutter. The authors are a speech therapist at the acclaimed Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children in Britain, and a medical journalist whose son received speech therapy from the Centre. Their knowledge and experience are seamlessly combined to dispel popular myths and to present reliable basic information and useful advice on who to improve the lives of those who stutter.... With stuttering still a highly misunderstood disorder, the release of Understanding Stammering or Stuttering is most welcome. Parents and teachers, and indeed anyone in the life of someone who stutters, will certainly benefit from this easily approachable introduction. Those who already know about the medical side of stuttering will learn about the human side of the experience from the many comments by those who stutter. Kelman and Whyte have performed a great service by giving those who stutter a clear voice in how they want to be viewed and treated by the larger society.
ForeWord Reviews
Understanding Stammering or Stuttering provides an informative and engaging introduction to stuttering for parents, teachers, and others in the lives of people who stutter. The authors are a speech therapist at the acclaimed Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children in Britain, and a medical journalist whose son received speech therapy from the Centre. Their knowledge and experience are seamlessly combined to dispel popular myths and to present reliable basic information and useful advice on how to improve the lives of those who stutter.... With stuttering still a highly misunderstood disorder, the release of Understanding Stammering or Stuttering is most welcome. Parents and teachers, and indeed anyone in the life of someone who stutters, will certainly benefit from this easily approachable introduction. Those who already know about the medical side of stuttering will learn about the human side of the experience from the many comments by those who stutter. Kelman and Whyte have performed a great service by giving those who stutter a clear voice in how they want to be viewed and treated by the larger society.
ForeWord Reviews
A book that explains stammering in a concise, accessible manner and uses the voices of children and young people to explain how it feels from their viewpoint, clears up the myths that surround it and offers a wealth of advice as to how parents, teachers and friends can help and support, is surely a real treasure. This book does all that and more.
Red Reading Hub - Jillrbennett's Reviews of Children's Books
Elaine Kelman is a speech and language therapist. She has worked in the field of stammering for over 25 years and at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children since it opened in 1994. She is a specialist in the treatment of stammering and works with children of all ages as well as adults. She works extensively with parents, helping them to support their children effectively. Alison Whyte is a journalist and health writer. She has a son who first received therapy at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children when he was 9. He is now 21 and still has contact with the centre. She has been writing about health and social issues for 25 years, and has written about stammering for the Guardian and health and education journals. Both Elaine and Alison live in London, UK.
This book is a fantastic resource for parents and families, as well as for teaching staff and support workers. The authors state their hope that this book will help parents and families understand what stammering is and how it affects children, parents and families, as well as providing useful advice on how to support the child who stammers. These readable, clearly presented chapters are very likely to achieve this.
NAPLIC Matters
A book that explains stammering in a concise, accessible manner and uses the voices of children and young people to explain how it feels from their viewpoint, clears up the myths that surround it and offers a wealth of advice as to how parents, teachers and friends can help and support, is surely a real treasure. This book does all that and more.
The Word Pool
Kelman and Whyte's book will be a powerful antidote to the mystery and misunderstanding that surround stuttering. The book is chock full of good, up-to-date information about the possible cause of stuttering, what makes stuttering better or worse, and how children and parents feel about stuttering. There are valuable tips for parents about how to respond to your child's stuttering, what goes on in therapy, and where to get even more information. Readers will appreciate the clear, lively writing, and the many quotations from children who stutter and their parents.
Barry Guitar, PhD, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Professor of Psychology, University of Vermont
Elaine Kelman and Alison Whyte's book is written in the spirit of openness and participation. It covers most of the things you ever wanted to know about stammering but never dared ask. Above all, it puts the voice of the young person at the heart of the book. As the authors say in their introduction, “the child who stammers is the only expert”… To all those who stammer, who are parents or teachers, or sons and daughters of people who stammer, this book will bring hope and comfort. And yes, help to transform lives too.
From the foreword by Michael Palin, CBE