British Stammering Association
Encyclopedia
The British Stammering Association (BSA), a charity
since 1978, is a national membership organisation in the United Kingdom
for adults and children who stammer
. Based in London
, it offers support to all whose lives are affected by stammering, supports research into stammering and aims to raise awareness of the issues surrounding stammering.
, who is now Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, had become a patron of the Association. BSA Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt paid tribute to him for having been very public in his declaration that he too knows what it's like to stammer and has at times struggled with his speech.
David Mitchell
, author of Black Swan Green
, a novel
about a 13-year-old boy who has a stammer, is also a patron of the Association.
BSA's other patrons are Sir Andrew Bowden
MBE, Dame Margaret Drabble DBE, John McAllion
, Nicholas Parsons
LL.D. OBE, Jon Smith
, and Baroness Whitaker.
and the International Stuttering Association
. At its last World Congress in Brazil, the International Fluency Association awarded the IFA Consumer Award of Distinction 2009 to the British Stammering Association.
.
In 2010 the Association produced research showing that children with signs of stammering are more likely to overcome the problem if they receive help before they reach school age.
To increase understanding in schools of stammering, the Association has produced an online resource http://www.stammeringineducation.net/ for all teachers and school support staff in England and Scotland. It includes guidance on how to identify children who stammer and strategies on how to support them in both primary and secondary schools.
The Association publishes a quarterly magazine, Speaking Out. Most of the articles also go on the Association's website, normally after a few months' delay. The spring 2011 issue included an article in which BSA member Richard Oerton recalled his own experiences with King George VI's speech therapist Lionel Logue
who is featured in the film The King's Speech. An interview with Neil Swain, voice coach for the film, was published in the summer 2011 issue.
claims made by stammering treatment providers. Some claim, for example, that they can 'cure
' stammering − but it is not possible to 'cure' a stammer, in the accepted medical sense of the word. Accordingly, the BSA believes such claims not only give false hope to those who stammer − but also give people who don't stammer the false impression that stammering can easily be rectified. Respectable healthcare companies carry out independent trials on large numbers of people, over long periods of time, before claiming any benefit for their products or services. The campaign has been conducted by, firstly, encouraging treatment providers who are making doubtful claims to provide supporting data and, if they cannot do so, to moderate those claims; and, secondly, in cases where the treatment provider has not co-operated, the Association has reported their advertisements to the UK Advertising Standards Authority
(ASA), who have investigated the claims and, if they prove to be unsupportable, have instructed them to remove the offending advertisement and amend any future claims. As from 1 March 2011, the ASA, and thus the Association, have also been able to act against misleading claims made in editorial copy on websites. Following a complaint by the Association, on 13 July 2011 the Advertising Standards Authority issued an adjudication against a website which said: "Discover how to stop stuttering with stammering cure that works..."
BSA's Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt, who describes stammering as "the hidden disability", said the charity had received calls from members who said people were asking them about their stammer for the first time, because of The King's Speech. He said: “Suddenly it has become a thing that can be talked about, which is very important for us...For those people who are engaged in conversations about it, their situation will have changed for the better.”
However, the Association criticised comedian Lenny Henry
for his opening sketch for the 2011 Comic Relief
, during which he spoofed the film and grew impatient with Colin Firth
's portrayal of King George VI as he stammered over his speech. The Sun reported that the British Stammering Association had branded the sketch as "a gross and disgusting gleefulness at pointing out someone else's misfortune".
In 2007 the Association's Chair, Leys Geddes, strongly protested to the YouTube
website about their classifying, as comedy, videos showing people struggling to speak, including three which he said appeared to be "malicious and stereotypical". YouTube replied that the videos did not violate its terms of use. Geddes has now posted his own video on YouTube, arguing for greater understanding for those who stammer.
Speaking in support of the Association's stance, Labour MP Kate Hoey
said: "For many people, particularly youngsters, stammering is not a joke – we need to ensure that help and support is given as early as possible and, most of all, we need to educate the public to understand the impact it has on people for the whole of their lives."
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
since 1978, is a national membership organisation in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for adults and children who stammer
Stuttering
Stuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...
. Based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, it offers support to all whose lives are affected by stammering, supports research into stammering and aims to raise awareness of the issues surrounding stammering.
Organisation
The Association's Chief Executive is Norbert Lieckfeldt and the Chair is Leys Geddes.Patrons
In September 2010, the Association announced that Labour front-bench politician Ed BallsEd Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
, who is now Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, had become a patron of the Association. BSA Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt paid tribute to him for having been very public in his declaration that he too knows what it's like to stammer and has at times struggled with his speech.
David Mitchell
David Mitchell (author)
David Stephen Mitchell is an English novelist. He has written five novels, two of which were shortlisted for the Booker Prize.- Biography :...
, author of Black Swan Green
Black Swan Green
Black Swan Green is a semi-autobiographical bildungsroman written by David Mitchell. It was published in April 2006 in the U.S. and May 2006 in the UK. The novel's thirteen chapters each represent one month—from January 1982 through January 1983—in the life of 13-year-old Worcestershire boy Jason...
, a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
about a 13-year-old boy who has a stammer, is also a patron of the Association.
BSA's other patrons are Sir Andrew Bowden
Andrew Bowden
Sir Andrew Bowden , is a British Conservative Party politician.Bowden was educated at Ardingly College and subsequently became a sales executive. He served as a councillor on Wandsworth Borough Council 1956-61 and national chairman of Young Conservatives 1960-61...
MBE, Dame Margaret Drabble DBE, John McAllion
John McAllion
John McAllion is a former Labour Party convener of Tayside Regional Council, Member of Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament , and a campaigner for Oxfam in Scotland...
, Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons OBE is a British actor and radio and television presenter.-Early life:...
LL.D. OBE, Jon Smith
Jon Smith
Jon Smith is a British writer of fiction, non-fiction, screenplays and musical theatre.-Biography:Jon Smith was brought up in Merseyside, where he remained until he was eighteen. He studied for a degree in American Studies at the University of Reading which included a semester at the University of...
, and Baroness Whitaker.
International links
The British Stammering Association is a member of the European League of Stuttering AssociationsEuropean League of Stuttering Associations
The European League of Stuttering Associations was set up in 1990 by 12 countries to promote a greater knowledge and understanding of stuttering and to bring together, as a top umbrella Organisation, the National Stuttering Self-Help Organisations of Europe...
and the International Stuttering Association
International Stuttering Association
The International Stuttering Association is a nonprofit international support group organization for people who stutter. It was founded at the first ISA meeting in Linköping, Sweden, in July 1995....
. At its last World Congress in Brazil, the International Fluency Association awarded the IFA Consumer Award of Distinction 2009 to the British Stammering Association.
Research and publications
Between 2004 and 2005 the Association published a research journal, Stammering Research,http://www.stamres.psychol.ucl.ac.uk which was edited by Professor Peter Howell, University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
In 2010 the Association produced research showing that children with signs of stammering are more likely to overcome the problem if they receive help before they reach school age.
To increase understanding in schools of stammering, the Association has produced an online resource http://www.stammeringineducation.net/ for all teachers and school support staff in England and Scotland. It includes guidance on how to identify children who stammer and strategies on how to support them in both primary and secondary schools.
The Association publishes a quarterly magazine, Speaking Out. Most of the articles also go on the Association's website, normally after a few months' delay. The spring 2011 issue included an article in which BSA member Richard Oerton recalled his own experiences with King George VI's speech therapist Lionel Logue
Lionel Logue
Lionel George Logue CVO was an Australian speech therapist and stage actor who successfully treated, among others, King George VI, who had a pronounced stammer.-Early life and family:...
who is featured in the film The King's Speech. An interview with Neil Swain, voice coach for the film, was published in the summer 2011 issue.
Campaigns
The Association has campaigned for several years to eradicate misleading advertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
claims made by stammering treatment providers. Some claim, for example, that they can 'cure
Cure
A cure is a completely effective treatment for a disease.The Cure is an English rock band.Cure, or similar, may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Cure , a short film starring Charlie Chaplin...
' stammering − but it is not possible to 'cure' a stammer, in the accepted medical sense of the word. Accordingly, the BSA believes such claims not only give false hope to those who stammer − but also give people who don't stammer the false impression that stammering can easily be rectified. Respectable healthcare companies carry out independent trials on large numbers of people, over long periods of time, before claiming any benefit for their products or services. The campaign has been conducted by, firstly, encouraging treatment providers who are making doubtful claims to provide supporting data and, if they cannot do so, to moderate those claims; and, secondly, in cases where the treatment provider has not co-operated, the Association has reported their advertisements to the UK Advertising Standards Authority
Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)
The Advertising Standards Authority is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances...
(ASA), who have investigated the claims and, if they prove to be unsupportable, have instructed them to remove the offending advertisement and amend any future claims. As from 1 March 2011, the ASA, and thus the Association, have also been able to act against misleading claims made in editorial copy on websites. Following a complaint by the Association, on 13 July 2011 the Advertising Standards Authority issued an adjudication against a website which said: "Discover how to stop stuttering with stammering cure that works..."
BSA's Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt, who describes stammering as "the hidden disability", said the charity had received calls from members who said people were asking them about their stammer for the first time, because of The King's Speech. He said: “Suddenly it has become a thing that can be talked about, which is very important for us...For those people who are engaged in conversations about it, their situation will have changed for the better.”
However, the Association criticised comedian Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
for his opening sketch for the 2011 Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
, during which he spoofed the film and grew impatient with Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
's portrayal of King George VI as he stammered over his speech. The Sun reported that the British Stammering Association had branded the sketch as "a gross and disgusting gleefulness at pointing out someone else's misfortune".
In 2007 the Association's Chair, Leys Geddes, strongly protested to the YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
website about their classifying, as comedy, videos showing people struggling to speak, including three which he said appeared to be "malicious and stereotypical". YouTube replied that the videos did not violate its terms of use. Geddes has now posted his own video on YouTube, arguing for greater understanding for those who stammer.
Speaking in support of the Association's stance, Labour MP Kate Hoey
Kate Hoey
Catharine Letitia Hoey is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Vauxhall since 1989. She served in the Blair Government as Minister for Sport from 1999 to 2001.-Background:...
said: "For many people, particularly youngsters, stammering is not a joke – we need to ensure that help and support is given as early as possible and, most of all, we need to educate the public to understand the impact it has on people for the whole of their lives."
See also
- StutteringStutteringStuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...
- ClutteringClutteringCluttering is a speech disorder and a communication disorder characterized by speech that is difficult for listeners to understand due to rapid speaking rate, erratic rhythm, poor syntax or grammar, and words or groups of words unrelated to the sentence...
- Stuttering therapyStuttering therapyStuttering therapy is any of the various treatment methods that attempt to reduce stuttering to some degree in an individual. Stuttering can be a challenge to treat because there is a lack of evidence-based consensus about therapy...
- Speech therapy
- International Stuttering Awareness DayInternational Stuttering Awareness Day22 October was designated International Stuttering Awareness Day in 1998. The day is intended to raise the public awareness of the millions of people who have the speech disorder of stuttering, including over 3 million Americans....
- The King's Speech
Other organisations on stammering/stuttering
- Michael Palin Centre for Stammering ChildrenMichael Palin Centre for Stammering ChildrenThe Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children is a specialist centre for speech and language therapy for the treatment of stammering, located at 13-15 Pine Street,London, EC1R OLP....
- International Stuttering AssociationInternational Stuttering AssociationThe International Stuttering Association is a nonprofit international support group organization for people who stutter. It was founded at the first ISA meeting in Linköping, Sweden, in July 1995....
- European League of Stuttering AssociationsEuropean League of Stuttering AssociationsThe European League of Stuttering Associations was set up in 1990 by 12 countries to promote a greater knowledge and understanding of stuttering and to bring together, as a top umbrella Organisation, the National Stuttering Self-Help Organisations of Europe...
- Stuttering Foundation of AmericaStuttering Foundation of AmericaThe Stuttering Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization working toward the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering. A 501 nonprofit organization, The Stuttering Foundation was established by Malcolm Fraser in 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee...
- National Stuttering AssociationNational Stuttering AssociationThe National Stuttering Association is a United States support group organization for people who stutter. Its headquarters are in New York City....
- The Indian Stammering AssociationThe Indian Stammering AssociationThe Indian Stammering Association is a public charitable trust and self-help movement for people in India who stammer.-Background:It is estimated that 11 to 12 million people in India stammer. Stammering is a physiological disorder...
- Israel Stuttering Association (AMBI)Israel Stuttering Association (AMBI)AMBI, Israel Stuttering Association, a charity since 1999, is a public non-profit organization that supports people who stutter and their families in Israel...