Angelin Peeris – Dysfluency

I’m Angelin, a specialist speech and language therapist working with adults with dysfluency.

Dysfluency is the general term used to describe stammering and cluttering, which is a disruption in the flow and timing of speech.

Stammering is typically characterised by repetitions of sounds/syllables/words, sound prolongations, blocking on sounds and associated secondary behaviours. 

Cluttering is less well known than stammering and is characterised by speech which is perceived as rapid, unclear and/or disorganised.

Dysfluency can have a profound impact on an individual’s life. Individuals with dysfluency can experience reduced access to education/employment, reduced quality of life due to impact on peer relationships and social integration.

Furthermore, dysfluency is often accompanied by fears, frustrations and other emotional reactions and experiences, which can negatively impact self-image and limit an individual’s potential.

Every individual’s dysfluency and their social experience of being dysfluent is unique. I work with an individual to produce a personalised therapy plan which addresses their emotional barriers, as well as techniques to increase their fluency.

Therapy focusing on emotional components aims to desensitise the person to the negative internal and external beliefs or reactions and reduce avoidance of words and situations.

Fluency techniques aim to equip the individual with ways to reduce their level of dysfluency should they wish. Often alongside dysfluency therapy, individuals will access psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness to enable to them to effectively manage all aspects of their dysfluency.

The most rewarding aspect of my role is being able to empower individuals to embrace their dysfluency as a part of their identity. It is always an honour to observe an individual embrace their dysfluency, find their ‘voice’ and engage in activities which they would have previously avoided!

You can find out more about stammering and the stammering pride movement at https://stamma.org.