Brave Northside man challenges stammer problem

A NORTHSIDE man’s stammer problem was so bad that he had to provide people with a fake name because his was too difficult to say.

David Slattery (24), from Drumcondra, suffered with a severe stammering problem from a young age that marred his childhood.

David said that sometimes the stammer got so bad that he had to point to items on a menu in restaurants instead of speaking.

In some cases, he waited outside shops for 20 minutes to build up the courage to walk inside and speak to a member of staff.

“I don’t remember when exactly the stammer came about, but I was fairly young at the time,

? he told Northside People.

Remark

“Primary school had its up and downs but it wasn’t all bad. It got worse when I went into secondary school; some people would pass the odd remark but it’s not something I paid much attention to.”

David said he was more concerned about how the stammer would influence the outcome of his Leaving Certificate exams, particularly oral subjects.

“I remember worrying an awful lot in secondary school,

? he stated.

“I had to go to each individual teacher to tell them of my concerns.

“I asked them not to ask me to speak in class as the stammer was so bad. In the build up to the oral exams I was very nervous and sick to my stomach, but in the end I did okay.

“

David said he often got himself into awkward situations when he began providing people with a fake name.

“John was an easy name to say so I would pretend to people that John was my name, but sometimes people knew my real name and that got awkward.”

Stammering issues were recently highlighted in the movie

‘The King’s Speech’.

The movie told the true story of how England’s King George VI learned to speak more fluently so he could address the public with ease.

The movie, upon its release, garnered much critical acclaim.

It scored 12 Oscar nominations including best picture, lead actor, supporting actor and supporting actress.

Forefront

The movie brought the issues surrounding stammering to the forefront, with thousands of people identifying with the lead character.

Similar to David’s case, the movie documented the King

‘s ups and downs as he battled with his stammer.

David’s college life appeared to be the final chapter that forced him to finally come to terms with his stammer problem by addressing it head on.

It was only after he went to DCU to study engineering that he realised how he had to take the matter into his own hands.

The course comprised a number of presentations and interviews that were vital in determining David’s overall grades on the course.

“Again, I went to the lecturers and told them about my problem and asked them not to call on me in class, but the lecturers told me that I had to do the presentations because I wouldn’t be able to deal with the problem if I kept avoiding it.

?

David said he attended a number of speech therapy classes throughout his youth to no avail.

However, in October 2007, he came across the McGuire Programme.

Techniques

The programme involves assisting those who have stammer problems with a number of techniques.

The main aim of the programme is to teach the dynamic and mechanics of speaking.

In David’s case, he had to undergo techniques that involved concentration, assertiveness and non-avoidance.

“I had to put myself in situations that involved me having to speak with people,

? he explained.

“I practiced the techniques both with those involved in the programme and on my own.

Confidence

“It really helped my confidence as I was able to recognise my own fears in certain situations and deal with them before they took hold.

?

David explained how he can’t credit the McGuire Programme enough as he believes his speech has come on immensely.

“I’m working as a fire engineer at the moment,

? he added.

“The job involves some event management, which means having to speak in front of a lot of people, but it’s much easier now.

“The programme was life changing. I’d highly recommend it to anyone.

?

Anybody interested in finding out more about the McGuire Programme can attend an event at Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street, on September 8 at 1.30pm.

For further information visit www.mcguireprogramme.com