Kelly Brown’s interview on STV Scotland* created further awareness of the condition following the success of ‘The King’s Speech’ starring Colin Firth.
Kelly Brown like many adults who stammer struggled to overcome his life long battle with fluency.
His stammer had been persistent since childhood, and he did not seek treatment for it as an adult; Well at least until he recorded an Interview prior to the Six Nations.
Kelly reported that the interview went so terribly that he had to call the Scotland Media manager to pull the interview as he was extremely “embarrassed” by it. He described finding it difficult to watch himself as he frequently blinked while he stammered; this is known as a secondary behaviour, a movement of part of the body that occurs during a stammering episode.
This “embarrassing” experience prompted Kelly to enrol in the McGuire programme*; an intensive course for adult stammerers and delivered by ‘recovering stammerers’ who have graduated from the course.
When discussing ‘The King’s Speech’ during the interview Kelly stated that Colin Firth really “showed the sense of fear, panic…and sense of helplessness that most stammerers feel.” Kelly described the anxiety, fear and panic a stammerer feels and how a fear of stammering in turn causes many stammerers to indeed stammer; this is a widely acknowledged vicious cycle.
Since completing the programme Kelly’s fluency has improved and he holds the McGuire programme in high regard. As a therapist watching Kelly’s interview post therapy, it is easy for me to identify the breathing techniques, ‘blocks’ (pauses when making/before making a sound) and the odd dysfluency. However, what was most enjoyable for me to witness was Kelly’s acceptance of himself and his stammer; a key goal that I as a therapist like my clients to achieve. Kelly openly stated “[I] am a stammerer and will never be a so called fluent speaker.” He went on to explain that his aim is to be “in control of [my] stammer instead of [my] stammer being in control of [me].
The McGuire Programme*
Controversial among Speech and Language Therapists, as it is not run by professional therapists, the McGuire programme includes breathing techniques known as ‘costal breathing.’ Whilst the treatment programme is not endorsed by Speech and Language Therapist, it has seen a lot of success and endorsement from ‘graduate stammerers’ of the course. In addition, to the techniques taught within the intensive programmes, a key element of the course is self acceptance; accepting ones self as a stammerer and recognising they will not achieve completely fluent speech.
Interview on STV Scotland
You can watch the interview here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJe7nmgw_bA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsJe7nmgw_bA&app=desktop
Lisa Franklin
Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Integrated Treatment Services