Stammering (also called stuttering) can affect people of all ages and is more common in males than females. Many research projects have been carried out to establish the cause of stammering. Stammering is variable, and the amount and severity of stammering can increase/decrease at different times, with different people or in different environments. It can also be affected by how the person is feeling. Consequently, words that can be said quite easily on one occasion, may be not be spoken fluently on other occasions. This is due to the many physiological, psychological, linguistic and environmental factors which may affect fluency.
Stammering can take the form of:
Communication is vital to allow your child to participate, learn to read, access the curriculum, form relationships, express feelings, make suggestions and stand up for him/herself. Specialist therapy can help both children and adults to increase their fluency and become confident and successful communicators whether or not they continue to stammer.
In her NHS role, Mrs Addlestone is head of the stammering service for children in a community setting and head of the stammering service for adults in a hospital setting and both trains and supports junior therapists in stammering. She has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating stammerers and has training in counselling and family therapy. Mrs Addlestone has worked as a lecturer and examiner on the speech therapy graduate course at MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University).
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From the very first telephone conversation I had with Sue I felt relieved and reassured by her professionalism and calmness. My 5 year old son thoroughly enjoyed his sessions with Sue and in fact he still asks if he can go and play at her house! Not only did Sue provide effective and efficient therapy for my son but she has also been a great source of advice and support for both my husband and myself. SC
I took my daughter to see Sue as she had been discharged from NHS speech therapy, saying they couldn't do any more therapy for her. Whenever we went, Sue was always full of enthusiasm and she made my daughter feel good. Sue is very pragmatic and always made the most of whatever time we had. In summary, my daughter enjoyed the sessions and made great progress. ED
We'd been to several other speech therapists, but my wife and I both noticed that whenever we went to see Sue, our son always seemed to make significant progress - and so we've kept coming back (that and our little boy loves going to play all the 'speaking games'). Sue's experience, expertise and constant encouragement (to both our son and to us) made us feel reassured and supported throughout the therapy. EC
We saw Sue with our Son (age 4). She immediately made him feel comfortable, and through playing with him, could make an assessment during our initial visit. From our first visit, it was obvious to us that Sue is an experienced professional in her field. Our son enjoyed the visits and we as parents found them very rewarding. Sue has given us very helpful advice and we respect her opinion greatly. SB
Sue assessed our child for communication problems. Sue understood our concerns and was great in organising the assessment, conducting the assessment and promptly letting us know how we could support our child. She is very friendly, approachable and flexible. Sue was really supportive through out and gave us extremely helpful advice. We would strongly recommend Sue! RR
From the minute I spoke to Sue I was reassured we had found someone that understood our position and was able to put it into perspective for me. Sue was available both before the appointment and perhaps more importantly after our initial consultation. This made us feel she was genuinely interested in our daughter and wanted to help. Sue spoke to my husband and I in a manner which, whilst very informative, made the information easy to understand and included lots of practical tips for us to use on a daily basis. We definitely feel we are better equipped to help our daughter’s speech with great support from Sue. VP
My son has had a stammer ever since he started speaking. He was referred to a speech therapist who he saw for 6 months. Although she taught him lots of strategies, he felt defeated by his stammer. He also got bullied in year 7 and his bully targeted his stammer. He became anxious about going to school and this made his stammer worse. When my son began seeing Sue, his confidence was at an all time low and he was stammering constantly. Sue managed to gain his trust with her honesty and determination. She has also helped him deal with a lot of the emotions he had bottled up - not easy for a 14 year old boy. Since seeing Sue my son’s confidence has grown. He is no longer defined by his stammer and he successfully uses the techniques Sue taught him. I would like to thank Sue from the bottom of my heart for everything she has done to help my son. ZA
Sue treated my son just over 12 months ago when he lost his voice. When it returned, she went on to treat him for a stammer. Tom has never looked back since he finished his sessions with Sue last year. He was chosen to attend a 3 day course on radio presenting and at the end of the project he told me he was going to be the one of the presenters for an final show. I have to say I was quite concerned and I sat with my heart almost in my mouth waiting for him to set foot on the stage, but he came out and said his lines as clear as a bell. I was not only proud for what he was doing, but doubly so because of the problem he has had with this speech and him never wanting to be involved with anything because of it. If it wasn't for Sue, I don't think Tom would have got involved with any of the above. I have asked him more than once if he ever thought he would be involved in any of the above this time last year. His answer is always 'no'. I want to say a very big THANK YOU for the treatment and advice Sue gave to Tom on how to deal with his problem. I'm sure he would not be doing any of the above had we not been so lucky to be introduced to Sue. p.s. Tom's latest career desire is to be a TV presenter. Susan S
My son Harry is 14 and has a stammer. He had been attending speech therapy on the NHS for almost a year, but his stammer had not got any better. I found Sue through the internet and we made an appointment to see her. Not only was she lovely with Harry, she made him feel very comfortable. Sue began teaching him techniques straight away. Harry learned more in the one hour he spent with Sue than he has learned all year with the NHS therapist. She also taught him how to say his name without stammering which he never thought he could do.........Thank you so much Sue – you are very special! HR
Just wanted to say thank you for yesterday when you saw Charlie for his speech - we got more in the hour we spent with you than we have in the speech therapy system in 2 years. LB
Recently Sue helped my son and our family through some difficult issues. She was very sympathetic and caring whilst adopting a very professional approach. I feel she made a difference to my son's life in a positive way and at the same time supported me as his Mum. Many thanks Sue. Helen Ronald
Having looked into NHS treatment for speech deficiencies for our 4 year old daughter we decided to go private and came across Sue Addlestone. Her professional credentials and personable approach have enabled Isabelle to gain confidence whilst having fun and continually ask when she can go back to see Sue. From our point of view as parents, Sue has exceeded all expectations whilst providing (at no extra cost) extra-curricular activities such as worksheets and reward charts to use at home. The difference Sue has made is immeasurable and something we thank her unreservedly for. CC
We approached Sue for help with our daughter’s speech. Speech therapy with Sue was such a pleasant and enjoyable experience – it didn't feel like therapy at all. Both myself and my daughter looked forward to each meeting with Sue, and we were both genuinely sad when treatment came to an end. We talk of Sue often, and I have told many people about the positive experience of speech therapy we were grateful to receive with her. Thank you so much, Sue for your warmth, kindness and hard work with us. We miss you! NK
We approached Sue after two failed attempts with Speech and Language Therapists. We were in a desperate situation and felt we were failing our son, William. The work we have done with Sue to date has had dramatic improvement on our previously very stressed family life and ultimately Williams speech. We anticipate working with Sue in the future and feel we have the support of an exceptional therapist who has the ability to see the wider picture. Lisa C
Nicola and I want to say a huge thank you for the patient work and persistent encouragement and support you've given us. You've altered the course of Nicolas life. She would have been a totally different child if she had not managed to overcome her speech difficulties. However, she is happy, confident and bright and has caught up at school after a bad start. We were fortunate to have such a lovely person as our speech therapist. Always a smile and warmth and a natural friendly manner, which made it all a very comfortable experience for me and Nicola and a very nurturing situation in which to learn. Gwen W
I just want to share my positive experience with this company, It is not my personal however but my nephew had some troubles with speaking, but he overcame them with the help of this clinic Skye Walsh
I loved the way you interacted with my son and how quickly you were able to make him feel comfortable whilst still getting him to respond in a way which allowed you to check his speech. JC
My son has seen Sue for a few sessions and his progress has been amazing. Sue is warm and friendly and she has made the sessions fun for him. He sounds so much better and his confidence and self esteem have improved immeasurably. I am so pleased. Joanne Lewis
Our 4 year old son’s sound pronunciation was not clear so we went to Sue Addlestone. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Sue retrained George on how to produce the correct sounds. This was done calmly, patiently and with the use of toys and games so George was completely unaware he was retraining his mouth to speak correctly. Sue Addlestone is a complete professional and expert in her field in my opinion. She worked at our son’s pace and never once did she encourage us to have unnecessary extra sessions. When George was confidently sounding letters correctly she suggested our sessions end. Speech therapy can be a daunting time for parents and we are at the mercy of the experts and usually have a terrible guilt over doing the best for our children. Sue never once took advantage of our vulnerability over this issue and spent time reassuring us as well as providing a safe environment for our son to learn in. We would recommend Sue to anyone who needed speech therapy in a heart beat. LH
My son' s speech was very unclear and difficult for people to understand. He started to become withdrawn so we went to see Sue for speech therapy. Benjamin really looked forward to the sessions - it was a fantastic experience. His confidence has improved markedly and he now communicates far better with friends. Not only did we have a brilliant experience, we also appreciated not being asked to keep attending further appointments which were not necessary. Amazing progress! Thank you! BA
My son is 25 and had suffered from a stammer, especially in situations where he was uncertain. This could be during a conversation on the telephone, with a client or whilst meeting colleagues. This was having a huge impact on his life. We decided to seek help and contacted Sue. From the moment I spoke to Sue, there was a confidence that a solution would be found for my son’s stammer. As a team, Sue and my son worked hard together for him to master the techniques to control his stammer and she gave him strategies to deal with the situations. My son now has confidence in every situation. He is not avoiding situations any more and feels in control, which he didn’t feel before his speech therapy. I would without hesitation recommend Sue to support anybody in overcoming barriers with their speech. BW
Mrs Addlestone provide me a solution for my stammering which I have been trying to solve for awhile, as I am a PhD student I have to deliver many presentations and attending seminars, before seeing Sue was very difficult for me to stand up in front of audience and speak confidentially. However, now I am the best in my group. She was very understanding, helpful and always a smile and natural friendly manner. I would like to say thank you very much Sue for your support. Sue is the best!! SH
Our son was only 4 when he started going to Sue for speech therapy so he did not have a did not have a great attention span. Sue dealt with this fantastically and with a lot of patience and creativity too. With Sue’s help, Will has completely overcome his speech problems and is a now a very confident little boy. His speech has come on so much! We were so proud at Christmas when Will was one of the narrators in the school play. He could not have done this before seeing Sue. Will spoke really clearly and a member of the audience even commented on how clearly he spoke, and it is all down to Sue! Sue is a fantastic teacher and I would highly recommend her. She helped Will overcome all his speech problems and was not only fantastic with Will but also with us as parents. VR
For years I delayed seeking expert advice about my stammer and was skeptical about the chances of anyone being able to cure me, but Sue did just that over one summer. Contrary to all my preconceptions, our sessions were enjoyable and not at all threatening, awkward or embarrassing. From the first meeting I felt optimistic: Sue did not treat me as a patient seeking a cure or as a client buying her expertise, she talked to me as a fellow human being. She taught me techniques to improve my speech and made me feel for the first time in my life that I could control my stammer and not be ruled by it. That was the breakthrough that made the difference. I recently took part in a presentation and Q&A session and throughout this, I cannot recall a single hesitation. I was exhilarated afterwards and felt I had cleared a major hurdle. I would not have managed it without Sue’s intervention and expertise. Sue worked with me showing warmth, insight and a high degree of professionalism. I am indebted to Sue and I would recommend her without reservation or hesitation to anyone. I hope her future clients can take real heart from what has happened to me. If they listen to Sue, read her material and practise - transformation can be achieved. She has been a great help to me in so many ways and has made an enormous contribution. I am, and will remain, indebted to her. AM
For 6 years I had continued to speak in a childlike voice with my parents after it had changed, even though I was speaking in my real voice outside the family. Having this double life caused considerable strain on me, and I didn't know where to turn.After all the damage it had caused me, I finally told my parents, and they arranged therapy with Sue. Initially I was scared of being misunderstood, but was astounded how genuinely friendly, and caring Sue was. She gave me the understanding, and advice I had needed so many years ago, but never had the courage to get. Sue, I can't thank you enough for the help you gave me, now I can finally move on with my life. PT
I want to thank you Sue for your your exceptional kindness and sincerity. In a world that gets worse and worse everyday meeting people like you is very refreshing! You helped me very much with my stammer and I really enjoyed your sessions. Keep it up! Daniel Smith
I have had a stutter all my life. I recently decided to do something about it and went to see Sue. Sue helped me to understand my stutter and at last I have overcome it completely. I was best man at a wedding and had to give a speech – it went really well and I didn’t stutter! Sue has helped me so much. JL
Since beginning my sessions with Sue the transformation in my speech has been remarkable. From the very first session I have noticed marked improvements in my speech and I am now speaking more fluidly than ever before. Things like phone calls and ordering from a menu in a restaurant used to cause me a great deal of anxiety but now I don't even give them a second thought. Sue offers a very flexible service even allowing me to arrange appointments at various locations. She is always keen to keep in touch between sessions and does so via both phone and email. I cannot recommend Sue highly enough. Sam Bryan
I was really quite nervous about what it would be like to sit and explain how I felt to someone, but Sue put me at ease as soon as I met her - over the next sessions it felt more like talking to a friend than a formal visit. The past couple of years have been very difficult for me, and I thought I might have to just live with my symptoms. However, Sue showed me really good techniques so that I could learn to control the signs of stress by using these techniques, which were easy to learn and made me feel as if I was back in control again. Thank you so much Sue for all your help. SF
Mrs Addlestone provide me a solution for my stammering which I have been trying to solve for awhile, as I am a PhD student I have to deliver many presentations and attending seminars, before seeing Sue was very difficult for me to stand up in front of audience and speak confidentially. However, now I am the best in my group. She was very understanding, helpful and always a smile and natural friendly manner. I would like to say thank you very much Sue for your support. Sue is the best!! SH