Emily today joined Cabinet Minister Ed Balls MP and John Bercow MP - who is leading an independent review into provision for children and young people with speech, language and communications needs - to visit the world-leading Michael Palin Centre for Stammering children.
During the visit they met children and young people who have been helped by the centre and discussed what should be done to improve the support for young people who stammer. They were welcomed to the centre by staff and writer, actor and broadcaster Michael Palin himself, who gave his name to the centre, following his portrayal of a stammering character in ‘A Fish Called Wanda'. He based the role on his own father who suffered from stammering all his life.
Opened in 1993, the centre assesses and has provided specialist help for over 2,500 children and young adults who stammer. Youngsters are referred from all parts of the UK where there are no specialist resources to treat this complex problem. Individual specialist assessments are provided and a programme of therapy is set up which may be carried out locally or at the Centre.
Emily said:
"The Michael Palin Centre does excellent work to give young people the help and confidence to deal with stammering. More needs to be done though to make sure every child with a stammer gets the help they need. I'm glad that Ed Balls and John Bercow have taken the time to visit and listen to the young people at the centre about how access to this specialist help can be made easier."
For more information on the visit click here.
