Communicating Phonics - The Communication Trust

Communicating PhonicsSection 4 > Different types of speech, language and communication needs > Children with who stammerPossible issuesThe way the adult respondsmay impact on how thechild is able to access thecheckIt may be difficult todistinguish betweenrepetition, resulting fromthe stammer and a difficultyin blending soundsWays to helpMaintain normal eye contact,particularly when the childstammersAvoid the natural tendency totense up, look away or fidget,as the child stammersEnsure the teacher is familiarwith stammering and itseffects and is experiencedin recognising the child’sstammering so that inmarking the child’s responsesa distinction can be madeThe outcome of the checkIf the child gets stuck on certain phonemes when sounding out aword, so that the blending becomes disrupted, encourage anotherattempt, but don’t suggest taking a breath or give other advicedrawing attention to the stammer.In interpreting the outcome of the check, it will be necessary to try todistinguish between repetition of graphemes that are caused by thestammer, and those that indicate difficulties with phonics, so that thechild is not penalised for repetitions caused by the stammering.It will also be necessary to consider whether the child is distractedby anxiety and is achieving below his potential, or is employing‘safety behaviours’ to avoid stammering (for example not answering,shaking head or repeating “don’t know”).Generally children who stammer will have been identified,but in some very rare cases even a young child may be hidingan undiagnosed stammer. Any behavioural concerns shouldbe explored and stammering or other SLCN considered, fordiscussion with a speech and language therapist prior to thephonics screening check.77