I’m concerned about the mental wellbeing of a pupil who stammers. Are there any organisations that can help?

As you will have read about in our what is stammering? article, having a stammer can adversely impact a child’s emotional and social development, wellbeing and mental health - both during their childhood years and in the longer-term.

Approximately 40 - 60% of children will experience bullying or teasing related to how they speak, while many young people will experience anxiety, low self-esteem and adverse mental health outcomes in late adolescence and early adulthood.

It’s important that the child or young person doesn’t feel alone, and that they know that support is available. You could encourage them to reach out to you, a parent or caregiver, their speech and language therapist or another trusted adult and tell them what is happening. 

In this article, we share a few avenues of support that you might find helpful to explore.

Support at school

It is often helpful to check what initiatives may already be offered or bought in by your school. You may like to ask your school’s SENCo or other staff members who specialise in providing wellbeing support about any confidence-building, positive mental health and well-being or anti-bullying initiatives that are in place. For some schools this may include the Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA) programme, or a buddy scheme. 

The SENCo may also be able to offer guidance in seeking the external support of an Educational Psychologist or Creative Therapies professional.

Professional mental health support

If the young person you work with is experiencing ongoing feelings of sadness or anxiety, they/their family can speak with their GP, Speech and Language Therapist or the school’s SENCo and ask them to make a referral to a mental health professional. 

Helplines

There are several charities that provide online information to support children and young people’s wellbeing, as well as free helplines for them to get in touch to chat through any difficult experiences or feelings. 

Many also offer the option to receive support through typing messages, if the young person would prefer not to speak on the phone. 

Support for Children and Young People

• Young Minds
• Childline
• Help & advice for bullying, YoungMinds
• Bullying and cyberbullying, Childline
• Campaign against living miserably
• Supporting schools, Samaritans

Support for their Parents or Caregivers

• Parents Mental Health Support: Advice for Your Child, YoungMinds
• Bullying: Parents Guide to Support, YoungMinds
• Online Bullying: help & advice, Childnet

Click here if you feel the student needs urgent help: Get Urgent Help: Support If You're Struggling, YoungMinds

Useful links:

• Signpost students to this article: Where can I access support if I am being bullied, or if I need mental health support?
• Are there any organisations that can help with teasing and bullying related to stammering?