The challenges of living with a stammer in lockdown

If you have a stammer, chances are it may have got worse in the last few months. In a new study by the charity Stamma, 39 per cent of adults reported they were struggling with their stammer more in lockdown.

Working remotely means that our voices and verbal skills are under far more pressure in endless Zoom meetings and phone conversations than when office-based, and this may be causing an increase in dysfluency for people who stammer.

Controlling a stammer on the phone can be particularly hard. Claire Norman, 28 from south London, started a new job in July this year, heading up the fraud department of a financial services company.

Not being office-based, a large part of her day is spent on calls and in online meetings. “When I stammer and ‘block’ – when a word just won’t come out – the other person on the phone call can’t hear anything coming out of my mouth and may think I’ve hung up or that the signal is bad. This can really add to my anxiety and stress. I actually find video calls are better because, like in face-to-face meetings, the other person can see I’m striving to get the words out and will wait.”

But others find video calls challenging. Shermeena Rabbi, Consultant Speech & Language Therapist and founder of Unlocking Language, has noticed an increase in self-referrals to the adult stammering clinic in the last few months. “Clients say the increasing reliance on video calls has made them more aware of their speech and it’s impacted their confidence. Video calls in general are physically fatiguing, but for a person with a stammer it can also be emotionally draining,” says Shermeena.

“We are speaking louder and projecting harder when we’re on video calls, and this is tricky for someone who stammers as the strategies they’ve been taught are the opposite. They have learnt to adjust their breathing patterns during speech, to have pauses in their speech and to speak more softly to ease the stammer. This may not work in a video call, where everyone is trying to get their point across within a limited time.”

The wearing of masks is another hurdle if you stammer, as they make clear communication all the more difficult. “With a mask you can’t see facial expression, nor notice that a person with a stammer is struggling to get a word out. When wearing a mask stammerers may struggle to apply the breathing techniques they have almost certainly learnt to help control their stammer. This means they have to work even harder to get their point across,” says Shermeena.

With over 1.5 million UK adults reporting that they have a stammer and stars like Ed Sheeran and Emily Blunt among that number, there has been a suggestion that stammers are on the rise in lockdown. “However when people who don’t normally stammer find they are struggling with speech clarity, this is not a true stammer,” says Shermeena. “It’s simply caused by the pressure of video calls making us struggle to find our words.”

Phone and Zoom job interviews can be particularly daunting for anyone with a stammer, and this is when it really is best to disclose your stammer from the outset so you’re interviewed with a level of understanding. “Ask if it’s possible for adjustments to the process to be made beforehand, such as a written interview. If you’re having a phone or video interview, practise your replies at home, especially any words that you particularly struggle with.”

If your stammer has deteriorated in lockdown, turn to supportive networks like Stamma where you can share challenges and strategies. “It can help to disclose your stammer at the start of a meeting so people will be patient and allow you time to finish your thought. If you find online meetings really daunting and pressured, tell the person running the meeting that you will use the chat function to get your point across. And if you have to wear a mask at work wear a clear one so people can see when you’re struggling to speak,” advises Shermeena.

“Having the range of technology at our disposal is only a good thing with respect to speech,” says Claire. “But it’s not one size fits all. You need to understand your own stammer and identify what works for you.”

For advice on UK disability discrimination law and stammering in relation to the Coronavirus go to www.stammeringlaw.org.uk