The My Share Project - a truly unique support for students who stutter

Stuttering affects 1 in 9 Australian children and can have a negative impact on learning and confidence in the classroom and beyond.

SAY:AU (The Stuttering Association for The Young: Australia) runs The My Share Project, an annual 10-week creative arts program for young Australians who stutter. The program aims to develop self-confidence and courage through supporting young people who stutter to expand their comfort zone, building on their strengths, interests and communication goals.

Collaborating in The My Share Project happens in an environment of acceptance, deep-listening and empathy. Students may express themselves through poetry, dance, song, drama, visual art pieces and more, knowing they can take as much time as they need to speak. Those who take part are provided the opportunity to participate in a final showcase performance attended by family and friends after completing a series of weekend sessions at the Victorian College of the Arts, which understandably moved online during COVID restrictions.

A CCI Giving grant helped The My Share Project with purchasing necessary equipment to deliver the program online, helping transition many of the in-person elements to a virtual setting, as well as enabling all participants to have equal access to the program.

The project is an important step in helping children with this neuro-developmental disorder to gain confidence and feel encouraged and enjoyment in their communication and learning. It also helps kids to overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness when they meet other children who stutter just like themselves; and to better manage ridicule and bullying when it occurs.

Many children who stutter fear speaking up in class for fear of receiving negative feedback from teachers and their peers. This often results in children who stutter hiding their stutter by silencing themselves at the back of the class. This can often impact their progress in many areas of the school curriculum as attending school becomes an anxiety evoking experience. Such stuttering and speaking avoidance behaviours can worsen over time, causing anxiety and depression at clinical levels. SAY: Australia navigates this problematic and complex road with clear results.

President and Program Director of SAY: Australia, Rich Stephens, recognises that most speech interventions focus on fluency without addressing the negative psychological and social impact that hinders inclusion and learning in the school environment.

“When we improve children’s attitudes to stuttering and communication, we help them to develop a positive and fun outlook instead of experiencing speaking as a distressing activity to avoid.”

Rich Stephens, SAY: Australia

“What all children say is important and we aim to increase contributions to conversations through building confidence. It’s so important that kids who stutter participate in their life events, school, and social settings. Children who stutter silencing themselves in all aspects of their life is a tragedy that we at SAY: Australia do not accept. With love, empathy, and encouragement, we can truly help these children to start enjoying communication once more, and be in control of their life. Once we can establish that this program works, more children will have access to the support they need to improve their participation and contribution in all areas of their lives and help them to truly thrive.”

The University of Melbourne supports the SAY: Australia program by leading the data and statistical research. SAY: Australia anticipates future collaboration with Speech Pathology Australia as well as education bodies so they can extend the program’s reach.

“More than half of the children in the program meet another child who stutters for the first time. Witnessing this magic in every sense as you can literally see the confidence starting to ignite inside straight away by simply knowing they are not alone. Collected research data is showing that those children who have completed the program, who had been experiencing clinical levels of anxiety and depression, have all shown reduced scores when taking part in social activities, speaking in front of others, and having a more positive relationship with their stutter.”

“The key is to provide support during childhood years when experiences and learning begin to shape the years to come. Parents are a strong indicator that the program has significant achievements because they all agree there are long-term benefits associated with it. In fact, most families have remained involved and have enrolled their children in further projects and events.”

The parent of one participant agrees, stating they “found it really increased my son's confidence in speaking out when he knew others in the group also had a stutter. He was heard and felt valued.”

The SAY program is looking to connect with more interstate schools and Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs), as well as increase volunteer and session numbers, and target specific age cohorts, to become a powerful force in supporting children in their learning and mental health. This initial program is a remarkable step towards addressing this critical gap, helping young people who stutter to embrace their voices and dreams.

Unquestionably, the most powerful voices and advocates of the program are participants themselves. Mitchell (17) is one such young person, who remarked "since joining the project, I feel like for the first time in my life I’ve accepted the way I talk and communicate with others, something that I found really hard before. Meeting other people who stutter, especially other young people the same age as me, I feel that I'm not alone anymore. I used to think I was the only one who stuttered. Now knowing that I'm not gives me the confidence to really be myself and look forward to my future!"