The Stammer Group
Mr. Ahmed was one of our teachers at Holte School. He began to stammer from the age of four and struggled in school. At age 19, he started working with a speech and language therapist, and his confidence flourished. He set up the Stammer Support Group to empower our pupils who have a speech impediment and to help them to find their own voice.
The BBC produced a film on Mr Ahmed’s work featuring our pupils who have already made fantastic progress. Click here to watch the video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53vhcRaBvo
Our Stammer Group still flourishes now a range of students from all years, empowering them with confidence. Sessions are now run by our Speech and Language Therapist, Kirsten Stewart. Kirsten had been working for the NHS for 10 years, and has been in this role for over 3 years ago, specialising in working with children in mainstream schools. She supports children with a variety of speech, language and communication needs. These include difficulties with understanding and using language, social skills, speech sound production, stammering and selective talking (previously known as selective mutism).
Kirsten is based at Holte School half a day per week, where she works with our students as individuals and as groups, as well as liaising with teaching staff to ensure our students are supported to achieve their full potential with their personal communication goals.
Stammering confidently on BBC breakfast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxWNx1IgPxI&t=116s
Behind the scenes on BBC breakfast - Autism & Stammering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvsE0UCRRK8&t=13s
Stammering awareness video with our pupils:
https://youtu.be/nalMre18ruA (check Ed Balls', Nadiya's and Kelly's reaction to the video at the bottom of this e-mail)
An article from the DailyMirror:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/amazing-teacher-creates-inspirational-video-11384163
How my stammer became my success:
https://www.stammering.org/speaking-out/article/how-my-stammer-became-my-success
How therapy helped me embrace my stammer:
http://www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/about-us/news/latest-news/abed-ahmed-stammer/
A world that understands stammering:
http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/hels/2017/10/19/a-world-that-understands-stammering/
Snippet of a radio interview with FreeRadio
https://soundcloud.com/stammeringbsa/freeradio-report-on-stammering-group
Ed Balls' (stammerer), Nadiya's and Kelly's reaction to our video with the pupils!