Specialist stammering service for adults

What is stammering?

“Stammering is when someone repeats, prolongs, or gets stuck on sounds or words. There might also be visible tension as they work to get the words out” (British Stammering Association).

Stammering and stuttering are the same thing.

Cluttering is a similar difficulty to stammering but has its own distinctive speaking features.

What is cluttering?

Cluttering is characterized by a fast or irregular rate of speech, often with frequent hesitations and filler sounds or words. People who clutter may also have difficulties with language and attention.

How can I access support for stammering or cluttering in Sheffield?

The Sheffield Speech and Language Therapy service has a Specialist Stammering Team. We see people of all ages who feel they would like support for stammering or cluttering. Anyone can make a referral to our service. You can contact us directly by email or by phone.

What happens after I have been referred?

You will be sent a letter to say that we have received the referral and that your name has been added to our waiting list.

We aim to offer a first appointment within 18 weeks of receiving the referral.

What happens at my first appointment?

Appointments with our team are held at Flockton House in Nether Edge.

First appointments last about an hour. We use this time to find out more about you, your stammer (or clutter) and the impact this has on your life. We also spend some time finding out what you hope to get from working with us.

We realise that your first appointment may be the first time you have talked to someone about your stammer or talked about how it impacts upon your life. We do our best to provide a calm, safe and honest space, and work at the speed of whoever we are speaking with.

Therapy sessions are usually individual but we sometimes also run groups if we have enough interested adults.

Further support

 Whilst you are waiting for support from our team, you may find the Stamma (British Stammering Association) website helpful: www.stamma.org

Stamma also run a free helpline on 0808 802 0002 (open weekdays 10am-noon and 6pm-8pm) and offer an email support service at help@stamma.org

Stamma are also active on most social media platforms.

Other local support

The Sheffield Stamma group also meet in Sheffield. This is a peer support group for adults who stammer and may be of interest to adults who do not want therapeutic support but would appreciate the support of other adults who stammer. More details (including contacts) are available on the Stamma website.