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| Richards Stephens beats stammer to be speech therapist | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A man who has lived with a stammer since the age of three will graduate later after qualifying as a speech and language therapist. | A man who has lived with a stammer since the age of three will graduate later after qualifying as a speech and language therapist. |
| Richards Stephens, 37, from Bury, said he could not say his own name as a child and "wouldn't speak up in class". | Richards Stephens, 37, from Bury, said he could not say his own name as a child and "wouldn't speak up in class". |
| He decided to train as a speech therapist after his confidence was boosted through his work as a psychiatric nurse and a support group. | He decided to train as a speech therapist after his confidence was boosted through his work as a psychiatric nurse and a support group. |
| He will graduate at the University of Manchester with first-class honours. | He will graduate at the University of Manchester with first-class honours. |
| "Instead of going out at night, I've been reading journals," he told BBC Radio Manchester. | "Instead of going out at night, I've been reading journals," he told BBC Radio Manchester. |
| "Now I have a mild stammer but as a child it was very strong. I could never be fluent in a sentence so it was on your mind constantly. | "Now I have a mild stammer but as a child it was very strong. I could never be fluent in a sentence so it was on your mind constantly. |
| "You fear talking, you fear being put in a social situation - it's a struggle because you know the words are there, it's just they won't come out for whatever reason," Mr Stephens said. | "You fear talking, you fear being put in a social situation - it's a struggle because you know the words are there, it's just they won't come out for whatever reason," Mr Stephens said. |
| Treated by a speech and language therapist from the age of seven, he said therapy failed to deal with his psychological and social problems. | Treated by a speech and language therapist from the age of seven, he said therapy failed to deal with his psychological and social problems. |
| "Stammering used to dominate all of my life choices. I first chose to study IT as an undergraduate at Liverpool John Moores because I thought I wouldn't have to talk much and could communicate via e-mail. | "Stammering used to dominate all of my life choices. I first chose to study IT as an undergraduate at Liverpool John Moores because I thought I wouldn't have to talk much and could communicate via e-mail. |
| "In restaurants I'd order dishes which were easier for me to pronounce and not the ones I really wanted." | "In restaurants I'd order dishes which were easier for me to pronounce and not the ones I really wanted." |
| He gained confidence in his early 30s after attending a support group set up by the British Stammering Association and said his voluntary work at American summer camps for children who stammer had been a "revelation". | He gained confidence in his early 30s after attending a support group set up by the British Stammering Association and said his voluntary work at American summer camps for children who stammer had been a "revelation". |
| "I want to help better understand this speech disorder, not only for myself, but for the benefit of the millions of people who stammer worldwide. | "I want to help better understand this speech disorder, not only for myself, but for the benefit of the millions of people who stammer worldwide. |
| "The stammer is only a small part of what we train in because we also train in how to work with people who have had strokes, language problems and delays." | "The stammer is only a small part of what we train in because we also train in how to work with people who have had strokes, language problems and delays." |
| Stammering | Stammering |