How the ASC Mentoring Scheme Changed My Relationship with My Stammer

I have had a stammer for as long as I can remember. I had speech therapy when I was a young child and my dad would sometimes ask me “How is bumpy today?”, bumpy being a nickname for my stammer.

Though my parents and speech therapists were trying to do right by me in providing support, with hindsight I think the speech therapy I received ingrained the idea that fluency was the goal: sessions were focused on techniques to try and minimise the chance of me stammering. As is also the case for far too many people who stammer, this idea was also ingrained by bullies and by uneducated or ignorant people who laugh and ask if I have forgotten my name when I get a block on “Lauren”.

Consequently, for many years my answer to “What is one thing you’d change about yourself?” was instantly “I would get rid of my stammer”. Now, through a combination of self compassion, discovery, and mentorship I no longer want to get rid of my stammer.

The ASC Mentoring Scheme
I was a mentee in the 3rd cohort (2024/2025) of the ASC Mentoring Scheme. Unbeknownst to me when the Scheme started, the timing was perfect as I had recently finished a 6-month Stammering Therapy course with CityLit which primed me to being able to talk openly about my stammer.

I was excited for the Scheme to start and to share my stammering story, but a little apprehensive about who my mentor would be. How would it feel to share something so personal with someone I’ve never met before?

The pairing process of the ASC Mentoring Scheme meant that I had nothing to worry about – it quickly felt like my mentor and I had known each other for years. Over the duration of the Scheme we spoke about a wide range of topics (the portrayal of stammering in the media, stammering at work and in job interviews, and stammering as a parent, to name just a few) and I always left our conversations feeling energised and content in my stammering self.

Though my time as a mentee has now finished, I am confident that I will keep in touch with my mentor (now friend) for many years to come.

Being part of the Scheme has been truly life enhancing and I highly, highly recommend that anyone who is interested applies.

Advice for future mentees
My overarching advice to future mentees would be: Go for it, dive in headfirst! The more you put into the Scheme, the more you will get from it.

Some specific tips:
Trust in the mentor/mentee pairing process. Your mentor is probably also a bit apprehensive about sharing something so personal, but you have been paired because the ASC team thinks that you will work well together and that your mentor will have lots of relevant wisdom to share with you.
Be as open as you feel comfortable with. Your stammer is personal and talking about it can be difficult and emotionally draining. But, this Scheme is a unique opportunity for you to have in-depth conversations with someone else who stammers – the more open you are, the more open your mentor will be, and the more you will both get from the process.
Value your own experiences. Whilst you will learn lots from your mentor, your mentor will also learn things from you! Trust in and value the experiences you can bring to the conversation.

And, most importantly, have fun!

By Lauren Burton – Mentee, ASC Mentoring Scheme