The King's Speech puts stammering into focus (From Basildon Recorder)

The King's Speech puts stammering into focus

4:40pm Thursday 3rd February 2011 in News By Emma Thomas

Actor Colin Firth in the film

NOMINATED for a dozen Oscars, the moving story of King George VI and his remarkable efforts to overcome a stutter to lead Britain through the Second World War has become a box office hit.

The King’s Speech tells of the monarch, played by Colin Firth, and his fight with the debilitating impediment from which he had suffered since childhood.

After his brother abdicates, George takes the throne but people doubt he can be king. He employs speech therapist Lionel Logue, who becomes his friend and helps him control the stammer.

The exact cause of the condition is unknown, although many theories have been advanced. Recently, it has been suggested there is a genetic link, as stammering often runs in families.

It is thought stuttering is possibly related to the brain working in a slightly different way to process speech for those who stammer than for those who don’t.

This is the national Year of Communication and NHS South East Essex, serving Southend, Rochford and Castle Point, plans events to promote communication problems as well as continuing to help people who suffer with the disorder.

Jenny Packer, specialist speech and language therapist for NHS South East Essex, says the film has helped raise awareness about stammering.

She said: “Colin Firth researched his role thoroughly and his stammering is very realistic.

“It is often referred to as a ‘hidden disability’ because it’s not obvious that a person finds it difficult to communicate until they start to speak; anything that makes people more aware of stammering and the day-to-day battles some people go through to speak can only be a good thing.

“Hopefully, the more aware people are, the more seriously it will be taken and people will give those who stammer time to speak and to finish their sentences, rather than jumping in to speak for them, or laughing at them.”

NHS South East Essex has a number of speech and language therapists and offers a range of treatments and approaches, depending on the person’s age .

Jenny added: “With young children, the focus tends to be on working with parents to show them ways they can help their child through games and in everyday activities.

“With older children, therapy can take the form of practising different techniques in games.

“The strategies vary depending on the child’s type of stammering, as no one therapy technique works for everyone.

“With older clients, work will often also focus on addressing thoughts and feelings associated with stammering, as it is easy to begin to fear and avoid speaking situations if you’ve had negative experiences, for example, people laughing at you or teasing you about it.

“This can have a large impact on your life, stopping you doing the things you want to do.”

To find out more about communication difficulties or speech and language therapy, call 01702 578614.

To refer yourself or someone you know to speech and language therapy, speak to your GP, your child’s health visitor or to your child’s school and ask them to make a referral.

How Julia controls her stutter

JULIA Ammon knows all too well the challenges of living with a stammer.

The 26-year-old has suffered with the problem since childhood.

But Julia, of Shotgate, Wickford, has controlled her stutter through the McGuire Programme. Used by TV’s Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates, the project teaches breathing techniques to help control the disorder.

Julia thinks the King’s Speech will help people understand what living with it is really like.

She said: “I am really happy about the awareness the film is raising. Colin Firth did an excellent job in portraying the way it feels to get up in front of people and try to speak and have nothing come out. The film portrayed it in a very real light.

“The king is just a normal person in terms of thoughts and feelings but has a problem speaking. I think this is the first time, recently anyway, a character has been portrayed as a normal person having difficulty speaking, instead of someone nervous or stressed.”

Julia, originally from Florida, is a fundraiser for the British Stammering Association. She added: “I think the film will have a very good effect on how stammering is seen as a disorder.”