Richards Stephens beats stammer to be speech therapist

A man who has lived with a stammer since the age of three has graduated 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".

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 graduated 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.

"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.

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.

"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".

"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."