Reflections on STAMMAFest 2024: Advancing Childhood Stammering Research

This year’s STAMMAFest 2024, hosted by STAMMA, the national charity for people who stammer, was a significant event for the stammering community. Action for Stammering Children (ASC) was delighted to join the biennial gathering, which provided an invaluable platform to connect, share, and support one another. For ASC, STAMMAFest 2024 was particularly meaningful as it offered an opportunity to present our groundbreaking work on identifying research priorities for childhood stammering.

Highlight: The Top 10 Research Priorities Workshop  

Highlight: The Top 10 Research Priorities Workshop

A standout moment for ASC at STAMMAFest 2024 was our workshop titled “The Top 10 Research Priorities into Childhood Stammering,” delivered by our CEO, Dr Ria Bernard. This session offered a sneak preview of the outcome of a two-year project where we, in collaboration with the stammering community, identified the most pressing research questions that still need to be addressed.

Using the James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology, we led the first Priority Setting Partnership into Childhood Stammering – bringing together young people, parents/carers, and professionals to identify the priorities for future research. We gathered over 385 questions from 146 members of the stammering community, which paved the way for the final Top 10 unanswered questions about childhood stammering. This list of the Top 10 research priorities reflects the real concerns of children who stammer, their families, and the professionals who support them, and will inform the future research agenda.

The workshop sparked insightful discussions among participants.

One attendee commented,

“These questions will open the door for people to ask more questions but also to change attitudes and work towards more solutions.”

Another emphasised the importance of focusing on children’s needs, stating,

“The most important questions were around the children and the causations, and these questions help us focus more and work towards better attitudes.”

Connecting with a Supportive Community  

STAMMAFest 2024 showcased the strength of the stammering community through a diverse range of workshops. Highlights on the Friday included the ‘Dysfluent Journeys’ film screening and discussion with Stories Beyond Words Collective, which explored neurodiverse voices, “Reflecting on Stammering and Neurodivergence,” offering a safe space for discussing shared experiences, and “How the NHS is Using Virtual Reality,” presented by Gareth Walkom, one of our Stambassadors, and Speech & Language Therapist, Nicola Maddy – two good friends of ASC! Gareth and Nicola’s session demonstrated the ways that innovative VR technology can be used in speech and language therapy, emphasising its potential to empower individuals who stammer. These workshops underscored the collective effort to drive meaningful change within the community.

Looking Ahead: Official Launch on 18th September 2024  

While STAMMAFest 2024 provided a platform to offer a sneak preview of our findings, the Top 10 remain firmly under wraps for now! We are excited to announce that the official launch of the Top 10 Research Priorities into Childhood Stammering will take place on 18th September 2024 at University College London (UCL). This event will be a significant milestone, marking the beginning of a new chapter in stammering research.

We will be welcoming researchers, research bodies, and funders to this special event in September, where we will be revealing the Top 10 priorities for future research into stammering, as identified by the stammering community. If you are a researcher or funder interested in learning more about our Priority Setting Partnership (PSP), then register for the event below.

Final Thoughts  

STAMMAFest 2024 in Nottingham was a valuable experience for ASC, highlighting the importance of community and our commitment to impactful research. As we prepare for the official launch of the Top 10 Research Priorities, we are dedicated to driving research that will significantly benefit children who stammer.

We sincerely thank everyone who participated in our workshop and shared their insights. Moving forward, our goal is to widely share the Top 10 research priorities, engaging with researchers, grant-makers, and the stammering community to foster meaningful progress.