The Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is launching a new book, Stammering Therapy from the Inside – New Perspectives on Working with Young People and Adults, at a special event at City Lit, London’s largest adult education college on Thursday 09 May 2013. The book takes a different approach to much stammering therapy literature because most chapters are co-authored by therapists and people who stammer, offering greater personal insight into a range of contemporary approaches. Mr Balls, who has had a stammer all his life, was interviewed for a chapter in the book by City Lit Speech and Language Therapist, Jan Logan, Sam Simpson (independent Speech and Language Therapist), and Dan Durling.
Mr Balls said: "I hope this book full of personal stories will help raise awareness and understanding of some of the challenges stammerers face every day. With the right help and support, we know that children and adults can deal with their stammer and do well in whatever walk of life they choose. Having a stammer is part of who they are and getting the right support is vital so that everyone with a stammer can fulfil their potential and live life to the full. The expertise in this book will help all that happen."
Speech therapy student Usman Choudhry, who has benefitted greatly from attending speech therapy courses, said “It was thanks to City Lit that I successfully applied for a job at the Bank of England and since then I haven’t looked back. I’ve raised awareness about stammering in my workplace, I’m an active member of the British Stammering Association and, with a fellow student, have helped set up a public speaking group for people who stammer. None of this would have been possible without the help I received from City Lit.” Usmam has also recently been awarded an Adult Learners Award for his achievements.
City Lit is London’s largest college for adults and its speech therapy team have been offering specialist courses and support for adults who stammer for over 40 years. It is seen as the UK national specialist centre for work with adults who stammer and received the Queens Anniversary Prize in 2007 in recognition of its national and international work. The book was edited by City Lit Speech and Language Therapy Tutors Carolyn Cheasman and Rachel Everard and independent Speech and Language Therapist Sam Simpson.
