PROGRAMME

In a qualitative research study, 11 children and 15 parents who attended Palin Stammering Therapy for School-aged Children (Palin STSC), were asked about their experiences and what they felt had changed over time. Both groups described changes that they believed were related to the therapy they had received. They gave examples of increased knowledge and acceptance of stammering, and reduced impact of stammering.

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In this presentation, we will outline why this study is important, how it was carried out, and give details of what the children and parents said changed over time. We'll also discuss the therapy implications of this research. The study contributes to the developing evidence base for this new therapy for children who stammer aged 8-14, focusing on childrens' and parents' voices.

We all avoid. It's a human thing. So why do some people think that when a person experiences stammering they have to consistently challenge themselves to reduce avoidance, be courageous and grow/ extend a comfort zone?

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What do you say when some well-meaning person leaves you feeling ashamed because you decided to have a day off? When you decided to simply be you while they encourage you to stop avoiding and be proud because they believe it’s best thing for you?

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This workshop invites personal reflection, small group discussion and a couple of ideas on how to use compassion and self-kindness to work out when avoidance is serving you, when it’s getting in your way and what to say when other people tell you to stop avoiding.

Ever feel like stammering only holds you back? This interactive workshop flips that idea on its head, helping you discover the strengths you've gained from living with a stammer. Using the ‘VIA Character Strengths’ framework, we’ll explore qualities like courage, perseverance, empathy and curiosity; traits often developed quietly through navigating communication challenges.

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Through small-group discussions, collective spotting exercises and personal reflection, you’ll uncover strengths in yourselves and in others that may have gone unnoticed. You will also consider how to use these strengths intentionally in work, relationships and daily life.

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This workshop offers a safe, affirming and participatory space where stammering, silence and reflection are all welcome. You will leave with a greater sense of self-awareness, validation and agency... recognising that the stammering experience can be a source of real personal strength.

If this is your first time at STAMMAFest, or if you’re attending alone, and would like the opportunity to get to know others and learn about the additional support that’s available throughout the event, this workshop is for you.

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This will be a fun, relaxed, interactive session where you can join in as much or as little as you like. Bob Adams, who has attended every STAMMA/BSA conference since they began, along with Hilary Liddle (Specialist speech & language therapist), will be on hand to answer all your questions and allay any fears.

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Internal  Family Systems (IFS) is beautifully honouring of our experience. As children,  we learn early on what is acceptable. Different parts of us take on roles,  e.g. if you stammer and get reactions that convey this is not desirable, a  part of you may decide it's safer to avoid speaking at times. As we grow, we  end up with parts that want different things, e.g. a part that wants to reach  out and connect with people, and a part that wants to avoid contact.    

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IFS recognises that all parts are important. They are all trying to help us  and, like a good team leader, we want to support all our parts to pull  together.  

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This workshop will:    

- explain the IFS model    
- invite you to explore what parts are present for you (you don’t need to  share if you’d rather not)    
- show how I have used IFS with people who stammer    
- show you how to identify parts that are activated around stammering /  fluency.

Are we really listening to each other? Can transforming listening environments for people who stutter actually benefit everyone else too?

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SPACE, a nonprofit for people who stutter, invites you to explore listening as a skill we can notice, practice and adapt. Guided by the lived experience of people who stutter, this interactive session challenges assumptions about time and silence, and offers practical tools for more deeply empathetic and connective conversation.

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Led by Aidan Sank (Executive Director & co-founder of SPACE) and co-facilitated by stuttering researcher Gen Lamoureux, the workshop blends a presentation with group discussion and exercises that play with silence, space and listening styles. Expect a connective, thought-provoking and rejuvenating experience. Let’s learn to create the space for each other that we truly deserve!

‘Fluency’ is a word that is used often in speech therapy, research and many conversations. However, how often do Speech and Language Therapists/Pathologists actually ask people who stutter what fluency means to them?

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This presentation shares a research project that invited people who stutter to describe fluency in their own words and experiences. Findings suggest that fluency is more than what speech sounds like on the outside and also includes an important internal experience. The session also encourages clinicians, students, researchers and people who stutter to reflect on how fluency is defined and why listening to lived experience matters.

Join award-winning author Hannah Tovey to explore stammering-related books.

At STAMMAFest 2024, I was surprised by how many attendees were interested in learning to make phone calls more effectively. I propose that phoning can be both a pleasant and an enjoyable experience.

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In this session, I will consider several practical situations such as phoning utility companies, opticians or estate agents. I will explain how to make phone calls, develop effective techniques and how to overcome the fear of speaking.

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Hopefully, I will be able to provide some real-life examples. Time-permitting, we will discuss how these specific ideas fit into a broader idea of learning and developing new skills to speak confidently.

How can the STAMMA community be supported and promoted within the Ministry of Defence? In this workshop, a representative will share his lived experience and practical insights into raising awareness of stammering in defence settings.

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The session explores communication pressures, inclusion and the value of internal networks and allyship. Through discussion and shared reflection, you will gain ideas you can take back to your own workplaces or communities. An informal, welcoming session focused on visibility, advocacy and the power of community.

In this workshop, we will explore the idea and the challenges of taking personal responsibility for our present and future, irrespective of stigma and of everything that is not in our control.

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We do not control the fact of our stammer, but we have a choice in our attitudes to our stammering, to stigma and to our own subconscious drives. We can set our goals, define our future, and work with the challenges that our stammering and, especially, our thoughts, feelings and beliefs about stammering, place in our path.

Kristel says, "I'm a Speech and Language Therapist who stutters. For the past 18 years I have worked to help children and adults build an identity and sense of pride in their stuttering. This presentation will highlight the ways I've accomplished this with my clients.

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'I will also invite you to contribute your own stories and personal experiences that may have helped shape you as kids, and ask you if you have any insights on what else kids might need to help them embrace their stuttering".

What will it take for people who stammer to thrive at work as jobs, tech and workplace culture keep changing? In this interactive workshop, we'll explore the realities of tomorrow's workplace and turn your lived experiences into action.

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We will swap strategies and ideas, and suggest 50 practical changes that can make work better for people who stammer: from interviews and promotions to meetings, hybrid working, voice technology and AI.

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Whether you stammer, know someone who does, or just want to make your organisation more inclusive, you'll leave with fresh approaches you can apply immediately, and a clearer sense of what tomorrow's 'stammer-friendly' workplace can look like.

Barbara says, “When I started researching adult stammering interventions, I wanted to provide answers to people living with stammering that would be useful to them. Yet no-one seemed to have asked, "What do adults who live with stammering think we should be researching about intervention and support?" That question became the focus of my first research study.

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‘This session will tell you about what happened when I asked that question. I will tell you about the research ideas that the adults who stammer taking part in the study said were important; how that information is being used; and will invite your questions and comments.

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'If you previously heard the presentation with my advisor colleagues at STAMMAFest 2024, this is what we have been up to since then!"

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Early stammering therapy is often framed around reducing or eliminating stammering. We however don't know early on which children will continue to stammer and which will naturally see it fade.

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In this session, authors of the ISAD 2025 paper 'Strong from the Start: A New Focus in Early Stuttering Therapy' propose a reset for therapy under age six: treat every child from the first session as if stammering may persist, so we build strengths before shame, pressure, or stigma can grow.

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The first half presents the rationale and practical shifts (goals beyond fluency, changing language, helping parents and children feeling relaxed about stammering). The second half is a discussion with people who stammer, allies and therapists to co-create 'Strong from the Start' principles for tomorrow's therapy.

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This interactive session introduces self-compassion as a powerful and practical approach for people who stammer. Combining clear, accessible psycho-education with new research findings and gentle experiential exercises, the workshop offers both insight and lived experience.

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It will briefly explore how societal narratives, early reactions to stammering and repeated challenges can shape self-criticism and shame, and how self-compassion offers an alternative way of responding to these experiences.

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Facilitated by Carolyn Cheasman (Speech and Language Therapist) and Ben Farmer (Trainee Clinical Psychologist), the session draws on two years of delivering a well-received self-compassion course at City Lit.

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Ben will present exciting new research from his Clinical Psychology Doctorate, including promising findings from a 2-week compassionate imagery intervention for adults who stammer. Throughout the session, you will be invited to try experiential exercises designed to be accessible and supportive, offering practical tools to take away.

Are you a woman who stammers? Would you like to meet other women with similar experiences, build connections and together shape the future of stammering?

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Together we can make our visions of the future, both for ourselves and us as a collective, come true. You are welcome to participate in any way that feels right for you, and you can contribute without having to speak, if you wish.

Have you ever ‘failed’ security questions over the phone because of your stammer? This talk looks at how speech differences can be misunderstood as signs of dishonesty or fraud.

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Claire Norman-Maillet, a counter-fraud expert who stammers, will draw on ideas about stammering, disability and how people who stammer adapt their speech to fit social expectations.

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The talk will explore the barriers people who stammer face, including procedural, social and language-related challenges, which can unfairly judge them as 'dishonest' or 'risky'.

Do you ever wonder about costal breathing and what it entails? Can it really help people who stammer gain more control over their speech, and what are the downsides?

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Join members of Empowering Voices, the UK's only charity dedicated to running costal breathing courses for people who stammer, to learn more about the technique and its real-world applications. Whether you are intrigued by the concept or totally sceptical of its merits, this will be a fascinating journey into the world of costal breathing, and of course you will get to have your say!

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You will learn about Empowering Voices and the history of costal breathing, watch live demonstrations of the technique and how it works, and then join in what promises to be a fun debate about whether it is better to stammer proudly or try to control your speech.

Led by  performance poet and researcher Sipho Eric Ndlovu, this workshop aims to  reframe stammering as a source of creative strength, building confidence in  writing and performing poetry in a supportive, non-judgemental space.    

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We’ll warm up with simple vocal exercises, then read and discuss  stammer-related poems, exploring how pauses, repetition and silence shape  meaning. With guided writing prompts we’ll then transform personal  experiences into free written material, and then craft them into spoken word  pieces using refrains and deliberate pauses.    

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An optional sharing circle closes the session, with gentle performance and  affirmative feedback aligned with STAMMA's mission of visibility and  acceptance.

Step into a high-energy, supportive session where music meets self-expression. In this interactive workshop, Shane White will share how rapping became a powerful therapeutic tool for navigating life with a stammer. Through rhythm, rhyme and flow, we'll explore new ways to express thoughts and emotions without pressure or judgement.

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You don't need any musical experience, just curiosity. Expect honest storytelling, live rap and practical creative exercises that help you reconnect with your voice, build confidence and discover that communication is about expression, not perfection.

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Whether you stammer or support someone who does, this session offers inspiration, empowerment and a reminder that your voice deserves to be heard.

What happens when people who stutter shape how they're represented in media?

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Join us for a screening of a short film where people who stutter question how the world sees them and advocate for how they wish to be seen. The film offers a rare portrayal of people who stutter collectively imagining a new future for dysfluent voices.

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We’ll explore the connection between representation and stuttering identity, sharing the research journey and community collaborations that brought the film to life. Following the screening, we will imagine together what community-driven stuttering representation could look like.

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Whether you're navigating your own stuttering journey or supporting someone who stutters, we invite you to help build tomorrow's representations.

Bring your family (and your stammer!) to a relaxed, creative session for ages 5-15, parents/caregivers and adults who stammer.

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We'll watch a short animation ‘When I Talk, I Stutter’ together, then team up in small groups to explore a fun worksheet, through talking, drawing, emojis, or quick notes (no pressure to speak). Kids can share what they noticed if they want, and adults are welcome to add their own moments.

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CARE is a stuttering-affirming framework that shifts the focus from 'fixing fluency' to building freer communication through Communication, Advocacy, Resilience and Education. You'll leave with a shared family language for CARE, a few new ideas for tricky everyday situations and one small next step you can try at home, school, work or with friends.

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Explore the Library of Dysfluent Voices, a global project developed by composer Luke Wyland with the disability arts organization SPACE, bringing together recordings of dysfluent speech from around the world.

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You will hear personal reflections on life, stuttering, struggle and resilience, in a session combining storytelling, guided listening and immersive musical excerpts. These 'voice portraits' translate the spectral, rhythmic and emotional qualities of dysfluent speech into visual and sonic form, inviting us to slow down and experience the voice in a new way.

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There will be a live demonstration where speech samples from the room are transformed into music in real time. Open to all, this session offers a welcoming space for deep listening, reflection and connection.

At this interactive art workshop for children, young people and adults who stammer, we will explore our feelings about stammering through creative activities in a supportive space.

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We will reflect on the different ways our voices move and sound, and you will be invited to represent your voice using colour, shapes and images, such as lines, animals or characters.

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This workshop is suitable for all ages and abilities.

'Dysfluency in motion' is a workshop co-facilitated by SPACE Executive Director and co-Founder Aidan Sank and stuttering artist Liam McLaughlin, exploring where our voices live within our bodies.

The goal is to highlight the often overlooked relationship between the voice and body, and unlock a deeper understanding of the dysfluent experience by thinking, moving and creating together.

Through conversation, reflection and physical exploration, 'Dysfluency in motion' builds a bridge between dysfluency and embodied expression. This workshop is open and welcome to all!

Our open mic is the perfect way to end the weekend, and anyone who's been to our conferences before will know just how inspiring, joyful and empowering it is. This is your opportunity to share your voice in a safe and non-pressured space.
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It's all completely voluntary. If you want to get up and say just one word, then go for it. Or, if you wish, there'll be plenty of others who'll come up and stand with you for support or if you want to speak together. Or you can sit and watch.
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People who have never spoken front of an audience before have said they felt confident (and eager!) to let their voice be heard. Come and be part of it!

The  majority of people, whether they stammer or not, fear public speaking. This  interactive workshop will give you the tools to deal with the potential fear  and anxiety associated with public speaking.

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It will also enable you to  connect with any sized audience and help you to be comfortable stammering  during your presentation, be your authentic self and learn to ENJOY public  speaking!

Tap into your creative energy! Writing is an imaginative way to share our stories and express ourselves in our own words. How would you describe your voice? What memories (happy or sad) do you have about stuttering?

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Through metaphors, epistles and flash narratives, we will give voice to our lived experiences and build community. By looking at some examples, we'll learn literary techniques, and then write and share our own creative pieces. Everyone is welcome, whether or not they stammer. Everyone has a voice. No previous creative-writing experience is necessary!

Over the last decade, concepts like Stammering Pride, neurodiversity and the social model of disability have been widely talked about in the stammering community. This has opened the door to people exploring what it means to stammer through art, poetry and music, diversifying stammering culture.

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Some people who stammer have found these developments vital, some useful and others not helpful at all and even harmful. We will take you on a tour of the key ideas, events, texts, art and voices which have contributed to these conversations.

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Whether you're new to these ideas or looking to deepen your understanding, this workshop offers a space for reflection and discussion. It will offer an opportunity to take stock of the last decade, celebrate, consider ongoing divisions, and explore our hopes and aims as a community for the next decade.

Here's your chance to explore the world of improvisational theatre (improv) in a supportive and playful setting. Improv is about responding spontaneously to prompts, taking creative risks and working together with others, in a space where anything can be tried and nothing is rejected.

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You’ll learn basic improv principles and take part in verbal or non-verbal exercises, suitable for all comfort levels. The focus is on having fun, experimenting with new ideas and roles, and discovering different ways of expressing oneself, without fear of mistakes or judgement.

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Participation is voluntary, and the environment encourages collaboration, encouragement and respect.