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consideration, and have requested the Chief Education Officer and the School Medical Officer
to report to that Committee on the matter. Pending the report of the Children's Care Committee,
we have authorised the continuance of the experimental treatment inaugurated by the Chief
Education Officer, subject to there being no cost to the Committee."
Nature of Stammering.
Stammering is the familiar form of speech defect in which there is hesitancy in beginning a
word or phrase with reiteration of the first sound followed by a sudden overcoming of the difficulty
and rapid completion of the sentence in one breath.
In severe cases the stammer may recur at the/beginning of each phrase ; in slight cases there
may be difficulty only at the beginning of a paragraph. Similarly the defect may be constantly
in evidence or only during moments of nervous excitement.
Stammering differs from other speech defects in that, while all are caused by some failure of
co-ordination between the brain centres and the nerves and muscles concerned in speech production,
there is in the case of stammering a special respiratory fault and often an underlying psychical factor
which makes the condition difficult to deal with.
Most of the other speech defects found in school children, such as lisp, difficulty with certain
consonants, jumbling up of words, etc., are found amongst "Infants" and tend to disappear as
education proceeds, or where they persist beyond this stage, are often associated with general mental
dullness ; whereas stammering is more often associated with either normal or bright intelligence
in other respects, and the largest number of cases occur in children of over 8 years of age.
Stammering is more common among boys than among girls.
Effect of Stammering on the Health, Outlook and Education of the Child.
This naturally varies with the degree of defect, but generally speaking stammering constitutes
a severe handicap. Even if it causes no actual retardation reckoned in standards, it debars the
child from taking his part in the oral work of the curriculum, thus making his education one-sided ;
it brings upon him the ridicule of his companions and it lessens his self-confidence which is frequently
lacking to begin with. While it does not affect health directly it nevertheless is the cause of unhappiness
which reacts badly in the child's physical condition and stammering children are frequently
delicate.
Treatment of Stammering.
This consists of:—
1. Measures directed to the improvement of the child's physical health, such as admission
to an Open-Air School, attention to meals, removal of any source of irritation about the mouth, nose
or throat, etc.
2. Measures directed to the restoration of the child's self-confidence and psychical equilibrium;
such as the selection of a suitable special teacher and the co-operation of the parents and the ordinary
class teachers under whom the child is taught.
It is essential that the child's relation to his special teacher should be one of affection and entire
confidence.
3. Treatment of actual defect. This is carried out by a special "system of instruction based
on breathing exercises, rest, and, later on, graduated speech exercises leading up to normal speech.
It is conducted in special classes or centres which are of two kinds.
(a) Those in which the child undergoes a period of intensive treatment over about
6 weeks during which time he attends continuously for morning and afternoon sessions and
returns to his ordinary elementary school when the course is completed.
(b) Those in which the child attends special classes for two or more sessions in the week
of l½-2 hours duration continuing his ordinary elementary school attendance between lessons.
The course in this case extends over a longer period of time, usually 6 months.
The advantage of the intensive course is that for the time being the child is freed from his
ordinary school associations and discipline, comes entirely under the influence of his special teacher
and, having had time to forget the humiliations to which his defect has subjected him, can make a
fresh start at the end of the period. The arrangement also allows of continuity of exercises and
prevents the obliterating effect of other school impressions between lessons.
The other arrangement of bi- or tri-weekly treatment sessions, admits more easily of the
establishment of special classes in ordinary elementary schools and causes less interruption of the
child's ordinary education. It also admits of a part-time visiting special teacher.
Treatment of the actual defect should not as a rule begin until the child has reached the age
of 9 years, as children who are younger than this are unable to appreciate or carry out the special
exercises and have difficulty in attending the centres unattended. As much individual attention
is required, the class numbers should not exceed 10 or 12. The class room should be cheerful in
outlook and well ventilated and heated. In a centre established for an intensive course separate
from an ordinary elementary school, provision must be made for W.C.'s, lavatory and cloakroom
accommodation and for recreation and a mid-day meal.