22 October 2025
To coincide with International Stammering Awareness Day (22 Oct) we have published new guidance on stammering and cluttering.
The updated stammering and cluttering guidance replaces previous dysfluency guidance and includes new position statements, created to help raise awareness of the role and ways which speech and language therapy can support people who stammer or clutter.
What is stammering and cluttering?
Stammering is a variation in speech. It is complex in terms of its causes as well as the ways in which it impacts people in their everyday lives. Stammering may come and go and increase and decrease at different times and in different speaking situations.
Cluttering is less researched than stammering. Individuals who clutter may organise their ideas and words in a different way and may speak at a faster speed. This faster rate may make speech less clear if syllables or words run into each other.
What does the guidance cover?
The guidance includes web-based guidance for clinicians, position statements and information for members of the public for both stammering and cluttering, as well as lists of useful resources to help signpost people to further useful information and to help create connections with organisations who specialise in supporting people who stammer and clutter.
The guidance working group moved away from using the term dysfluency as it is a medical term that could imply a problem with difference in speech. Stammering (or stuttering) acknowledges a person’s lived experience without implying inferiority. They also chose to separate the guidance into the two areas to recognise the differences between them and align with most organisations providing support to those who stammer or clutter.
The guidance was co-produced, alongside STAMMA and Action for Stammering Children, with people who stammer or clutter consulted in their creation alongside RCSLT members. We are grateful for the involvement of those organisations as well as all individuals who have contributed to the creation of the guidance.
Where can I find the guidance?
The full set of stammering and cluttering guidance can be found on our clinical guidance pages.
Or you can access them directly below:
- Read our stammering guidance and position statement
- Read our cluttering guidance and position statement
If you’re a practising SLT who is looking for information to share with patients or if you or your family and friends stammer of clutter, visit our clinical information pages
