Young people’s poster project promotes positivity around stammering in schools
A group of young people supported by the Trust have teamed up with one of the UK’s leading stammering charities to raise awareness and acceptance of stammering in schools.
Charity Action for Stammering Children has produced five new posters designed by the young people who stammer, with the aim of educating schools and the wider community about how it feels to stammer from the perspective of a young person.
The designs feature quotes by the young people, as well as facts about stammering and how to support a young person who stammers.
The collaboration came about after Trust speech and language therapist Nicola Maddy delivered training on stammering to local schools in Barnsley. At one session, she was joined by a 16-year-old service user with a stammer who spoke to school staff about what would make a difference to people who stammer in schools.
She explained to staff that she had never seen a poster about stammering in her schools and thought it would be a good way to promote acceptance, educate others about stammering, help reduce bullying and create a safer space for children.
Nicola also runs a small therapy group for teens who stammer in a local secondary school. She tasked the teens with designing something to show what they’d like their teachers and peers to know about stammering. Inspired by the idea suggested at the training, they decided to make some posters.
After Nicola posted on social media about the group’s activity, Action for Stammering Children got in touch and agreed to fund and print the poster designs. The posters are now available to download and share online.
Nicola said: “I’m incredibly proud of the young people I work with for having the drive, motivation and courage to want to educate their peers and teachers about stammering. I’m delighted that they see value in their voices and want to help normalise stammering and shift negative perceptions.
“I’d love to see the posters displayed in all our schools and across the country in the hope that our children can grow up in an environment that better understands, accepts and sees value in stammered voices. We want to create safe spaces for children to stammer openly, without fear, in an overall kinder and more inclusive place. We hope the posters change the way stammering is seen in our schools.”
View the posters online at: https://actionforstammeringchildren.org/about-my-stammer/
