SSEAT's Guide to Awareness  & Advocacy in the Classroom: How Teachers and Professors Can Support Students Who Stutter

Teachers and professors are in the unique position to advocate for their stuttering students, but without proper guidance, they can also make mistakes in the classroom that can impede students' access to education and impact their wellbeing. The following is advice based on personal experiences and the perspective of SSEAT's founder and director, Stan Craig, on how educators can create a safe and healthy classroom environment where stuttering students are supported and best positioned for success.

Educate Yourself

• Do your research and learn all you can about stuttering, what it sounds like, the science behind it, how it impacts students, and how you can support your students.

• Seek information from stuttering students or students' families.

• Access Educational Plans or IEPs.

• Consult with your school's Academic Team or speech pathologist.

• Speak with former and current teachers who know the students.

Employ Wait Time

• Intentionally provide students additional wait time to express themselves, which is likely to yield a higher quality response for all students.

• Stuttering students are likely to appreciate the extra time, because they use additional cognitive and emotional energy to answer even the most simple questions.

• Stutterers will have additional time to compose a more thoughtful response, and they will have time to plan and execute their speech targets.

• Remember: Stutterers are planning WHAT to say and HOW to say it.

• Stutterers also require more time to express themselves, because their speech is labored with repetitions, elongations, and delays. 

• If wait time is part of the classroom culture, stuttering students are likely to feel more comfortable. They can rely on their teacher and peers to be patient and accepting of their speech patterns.

Slow Down Your Speech

• Students who stutter may benefit from hearing slower speech patterns in class.

• Rather than ask students to slow down, model a slower pace in your own speech patterns.

• If you speak more slowly, you're modeling that it's OK to take your time and slow down.

• If you speak more slowly, stuttering students may feel calmer and more supported.

• You're creating an environment where it feels safe to take the additional time stuttering students need to verbally express their ideas.

Be an Empathetic Listener

• Now that you know your stuttering students are working extra hard to participate in class, be an empathetic listener who intentionally shows your students you're engaged and interested in what they have to say.

• Look at them while they speak.

• Nod your head and smile while they speak.

• Be sure not to interrupt.

• Be mindful of wait time and the importance of giving students a safe space to speak.

Be Aware that Stutterers Have Second Tier Behaviors Related to Stuttering

• Some stutterers will have secondary behaviors that accompany stuttering, such as eye twitches, jaw clenching, and head nodding.

• These physical behaviors can be embarrassing for stutterers and lead to emotional duress, especially for children.

• These physical behaviors can also lead to teasing, especially for younger children.
  

• Some stutterers will have experienced other speech difficulties, such as articulation disorders, again causing them additional burdens and possible embarrassment.

• Less obvious speech disorders are difficulties with language planning and conversational nuances.

• Stutterers approach their language planning with the added burden of focusing on their breathing and targets, which means completing language tasks, both written and oral, can be hard for them and require additional instruction and/or accommodations. 

• Stutterers may also struggle in conversations, missing conversational and social nuances that fluent speakers take for granted.

• Stutterers often speak as if they are giving a monologue and are resistant to interruption. They are so focused on the task of expressing their thoughts fluently that they don't have the ability and/or patience to yield to others wanting to participate in the dialogue. "Give and take" conversation can be difficult for stutterers, especially when their disfluency is high.

• Stutterers may also overlook or not be aware of nuanced behaviors in conversation, making them appear rigid or rude to others. It's likely that as their speech patterns developed, they didn't learn some of the more implied or unspoken rules of conversation. They might not pick up on sarcasm or other less-literal language patterns.

• Stutterers may also have difficulty inserting themselves into conversations, appearing shy or withdrawn. Onsets are very hard for stutterers, which means it takes extra energy and time for them to "get started" at the beginning of their speech. It's a likely challenge for stutters to navigate the timing and logistics of their speech while simultaneously figuring out how to join conversations. 

Provide Adjustments to Speaking Demands

• Accommodate speaking demands in class by having an arrangement with stuttering students that you won't call on them unless they volunteer.
• Accommodate speaking demands in class by having an arrangement with stuttering students that they can provide a nonverbal cue, such as a head node or tug at their ear, if they need to be passed over.
• Accommodate speaking demands in class by offering stuttering students the chance to give oral presentations in private or via pre-recorded submission.
• Modify speaking demands in class by offering stuttering students the chance to submit a written version of their speech.
• Be prepared to accommodate or modify speaking demands on short notice. Stuttering can be seasonal and episodic, with dysfluency popping up unexpectedly.
• Provide opportunities for stuttering students to seek your support via email. Be aware they may be hesitant to ask questions in-person and need the "safe space" of email to communicate with you. Make sure you are willing to correspond by email, answering their questions by email. Do not require stuttering students to speak with you in-person if they are seeking your support via email. Teachers often value in-person connections with students and/or want to keep correspondence offline, but make the exception for your stuttering students. If you refuse to communicate by email with stuttering students, you are likely to alienate them and possibly deprive them of fair access to their education.

Provide Positive Reinforcement

• Thank students for sharing their thoughts with feedback, such as, "Thank you for explaining that to us," or "I love hearing your thoughts on that topic."

• No matter HOW the words are spoken, focus on WHAT was spoken.

• After class or privately, offer praise and encouragement, such as, "I can tell how you worked in class today, and I am so proud of your perseverance and dedication to our work together," or "I am grateful you're part of our classroom community and really enjoyed your ideas and contributions."

• Provide opportunities for stuttering students to seek your support during Help Time or Office Hours or via email. Be sure your students know they can access your support. 

Avoid All Negativity

• Do not punish stuttering students for their inability to participate in discussions, complete speaking assignments, or navigate nuanced aspects of language.

• Avoid all sarcasm in the classroom.

• • Sarcasm is negative language and does not have a place in the classroom.

  • Teachers should aspire to always model respectful language and create a classroom culture where mutual respect is expected and celebrated.

• Do not grade against stuttering students for their inability to understand language nuances, such as idioms, or language planning skills, such as syntax- this applies to both spoken and written language.
  

• Do not grade against stuttering students for their inability to participate in discussions or complete speaking assignments.

•  This is especially important in second language classes where fluency is often a component of assessments.

Do Not Provide Advice

• Do not tell stuttering students to "slow down," or "take a deep breath."

• Do not try to guess words or finish words for them.

• Rather than offer advice, ask how you might help.

Do Not Tolerate Teasing

• Child stutterers are often teased at school or in other social settings.
  
• Do not allow mocking or mimicking of stuttering in the classroom.
• Do not allow sarcasm or cynicism in the classroom.
• Have a zero tolerance policy for teasing, bullying, and negative language in your classroom.
• Make sure your school has transparent and consistently employed policy against bullying.
• Create a classroom culture where differences are celebrated and all students feel welcome.
• Model self-awareness and humility.
• Model empathy and compassion.
• Model positive, kind language.
• Do not discuss students' struggles without their permission.

Do you have questions how you might better advocate for your stuttering students?

Do you know an educator who is a role model for advocacy for stuttering students?