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Earlier this month, the second ASC-funded stammering residential course of 2025 took place in North Yorkshire. For 21 young people who stammer, this signified the start of a 6-month therapy programme delivered by specialist speech and language therapists. In this article, we take a look back at the transformational impact of the residential stammering courses delivered by our partners at Talking Out Ltd, over the past six years.
Action for Stammering Children has partnered with speech and language therapy providers, Talking Out Ltd, for almost a decade. Initially, this involved the charity funding one residential course each year. Now, we fund two residential courses and one online course annually – providing 50 teenagers with 6-months of expert therapy each year.
Since 2018, this partnership has seen 203 young people benefit from the residential stammering programme; helping them build confidence, develop communication skills, and embrace their voices. This unique intervention blends therapy with adventure, creating a safe and empowering space for teenagers aged 11–18.
The phrase ‘residential stammering course’ can be misleading. In actual fact, this is a 6-month therapy programme, comprising the one-week residential and two follow-up days at Bewerley Park in North Yorkshire. Parents/carers attend online evening sessions with the speech and language therapist to promote carry-over of skills and to help build their confidence in supporting their child’s stammer. The course also offers the opportunity for student speech and language therapists to gain experience, confidence and insight into working with young people who stammer – contributing to their professional development.
The programme is delivered by Talking Out Ltd, a specialist Speech and Language Therapy service based in Yorkshire. They offer expert support for people who stammer and their families from all parts of the UK.
As a long-time partner, Action for Stammering Children is proud to fund this life-changing programme. Through this partnership, we are able to achieve our objective of reaching young people from diverse backgrounds, including those who may not otherwise be able to access specialist therapy.
“I’ve started to speak more in class.”
We recognize that the teenage years are characterised by significant social change, academic pressures, new relationships, hormones, and expectations. Imagine managing all of that with the experience of stammering – something that is often misunderstood.
We know that being a teenager can be an anxious, confusing and isolating time for any teen but it is often much more complex for the young people we support navigating their way through with the additional layer of a stammer. One the most meaningful outcomes from the programme is having the chance to meet someone else with a stammer. That sense of community, comradery and shared experience – as a young person once said, it’s just nice not to have to explain my stammer.
Teenagers who stammer are at increased risk of low self-confidence, isolation, and reduced participation in school and social life. The Talking Out Residential directly addresses these challenges by:
Talking Out is more than a therapy programme—it’s a transformative experience that offers a chance for young people living all over the UK to come together, build friendships, share experiences and join a group in which stammering is the norm. Over the course of a week, participants engage in:
Between 2018 and 2025, ASC has fully funded places for 203 young people (aged 11–18) living across England and Scotland. The programme has consistently shown:
In response to the pandemic, ASC agreed to fund an online version of the course, which was so successful that it has become a permanent part of our partnership agreement with Talking Out. This involves a one-week online course and a 3-month follow-up, alongside parent/carer sessions.
The impact of the stammering residential courses are transformational and we plan to make them available to hundreds more young people living in the UK. At ASC, we are determined to break down the barriers to accessing expert support and therapy. While we fully fund places on these courses, we know that for some families the cost of travel, clothing and luggage makes the course inaccessible. Moving forward, we are hoping to offer a bursary to make it possible for those families to access the course.
We are incredibly grateful to our supporters who make it possible for us to continue our special partnership with Talking Out Ltd. By continuing to support us, we will ensure that every child who stammers has the opportunity to grow, connect, and communicate with confidence.
“I have learnt that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my stutter—it’s a part of me”
You can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about stammering by taking a look at our Support Hub Knowledge Articles
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