I first met Donal Nugent while studying Scriptwriting at DIADT. During the course we had an opportunity to co-present an assignment on Shakespeare.

Now, understanding Shakespeare I found daunting enough, but having to speak publicly on the subject filled me with terror. Coming straight from the school of ‘being seen and not heard’ I had little experience in the way of public speaking so it would be fair to assume that during the presentation I neither lifted my eyes off the page– nor did I stop to take a breath in between sentences.

Donal’s performance, however, was quite the opposite– relaxed and clear. What I didn’t know was that Donal had a stammer, or a stutter as the condition is also known. It was only when we spoke one to one, did the stammer become evident.

Apparently, it is not uncommon for sufferers of stammering to have ‘situational fluency’. Anybody watching reality shows like ‘The X Factor’, or ‘Grease is the Word’ have witnessed contestant stammerers with ‘situational fluency’ (unable to utter their own name, yet when called on to sing, they do so without fault).

The speech block suddenly disappears when the person with a stammer is in performance mode. And this would explain why Donal was able to deliver an oral presentation without difficulty.

Famous sufferers are said to include Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe and Bruce Willis, who were and are all successful performers in their own right.

Medical research suggests that distraction (like in the case of singing) is responsible for this temporary un-blockage. Donal, a published poet, has always loved writing speeches. Growing up with a speech impediment meant channelling a lot of energy into manuscript work.

Having had a stammer from a very young age, Donal remembers the day when he couldn’t get the word ‘three’ out and the other kids laughing. With it came the shame and although with age, the shame eased somewhat, it never fully disappeared. “The shame is probably the worst part of the condition,” says Donal, who says that simple tasks like answering the phone became an ordeal.

There are two types of sufferers, those who ‘can’t get the words out’ and those with ‘discreet stammering’. The latter type will avoid speaking certain letters or words they may stumble over. The letter ‘w’ for instance, can prove difficult for anyone who has a stammer.

There are still no answers as to why some people develop stammers and others don’t. Some suggest that fear and anxiety can trigger a speech ‘stoppage’. Others would assume a neurological factor is responsible for the impediment. But as yet, there have been no concrete conclusions to its manifestation.

But one thing is certain: it is a condition that can be managed, as Donal learned when he participated in The PATMAR Programme for Adults who Stammer. Donal is testament that the course works for adults with stammers, as since completing it, he has been able to deliver best-man speeches at various weddings (no mean feat for anyone with or without a stammer).

PATMAR is an eight-day residential course run by two senior speech and language therapists from the North Western Health Board. Twelve adults are accepted on each course following a selection interview. The course is open to all adults who stammer. Two courses take place each year, one in May and one in September. For people who live in the Republic, the cost of the course is covered by that individual’s health board.

Activities are carried out in small, comfortable steps and members work at their own pace. Therapy begins with activities to enable people to identify their individual needs and aims.

They analyse all aspects of their stammering. They are helped to address their emotional responses to their stammering and gradually to reduce any avoidance strategies that they are using. They are then ready to begin to change their stammering and to develop more fluency in their speech and more control of their stammering.

PATAMAR does not offer a cure, or 100% fluency. Instead, the aims of the course are to give the clients control of their stammer and empowerment in relation to their stammer.

Dublin Adult Stuttering is a similar adult intensive course run by the HSE. It also offers monthly follow up support.

If you have any questions about any of these courses, contact your local speech and language therapist for information and advice or contact PATAMAR directly: Maria McDonnell, Senior Speech Language Therapist, Sligo (071) 9155132, maria.mcdonnell@nwhb.ie

You can also contact www.iasltpp.com for a list of therapists who practice privately.