0:00:16 > 0:00:18My name's Aidan and I'm 11 years old.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24What it must be like is like
0:00:24 > 0:00:28words coming up, they're in your mind, you're trying to form them.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31And suddenly,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33for some reason, there's a block.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37My name is Oscar and I'm 13 years old.
0:00:37 > 0:00:44That block, however it's created, is intensified by your tension.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45My name is...
0:00:47 > 0:00:50..Isa and I am 13 years old.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53So it's about tension, it's about pressure.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56My name's Tom and I'm 13 years old.
0:00:56 > 0:01:04Having tons of things you want to say and just finding that the actual machine for speaking has dried up.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07My name is Lili and I'm 10 years old.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10It's like the batteries have gone.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14You know, a sort of barrier has come down at the back of your throat.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17My... My... My name is...
0:01:17 > 0:01:24Is... Is Charlotte, and I am...
0:01:25 > 0:01:31And I am... And I am...
0:01:31 > 0:01:33And I am 14.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Around five per cent of British children will suffer
0:01:41 > 0:01:45from a stammer at some stage in their lives.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48That's nearly 200,000 stammerers right across the UK.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54Nobody quite knows what causes this and many children will simply grow out of it.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58But for some, their stammer can become a very real problem.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It's not a problem you can cure, but it is one you can learn to control.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06And that's what's brought six young stammerers and their parents,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09from all over the country, together in London.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12After seeking help from their local speech therapist,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17they've been specially selected to take part in a course that could change their lives.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Over the next two weeks, Aidan, Isa,
0:02:21 > 0:02:28Oscar, Tom, Lili and Charlotte
0:02:28 > 0:02:30will attend a very different type of school -
0:02:30 > 0:02:35a stammer school at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Famous as a member of the legendary Monty Python comedy group and as a
0:02:39 > 0:02:43globetrotting TV explorer, Michael Palin's link to the centre
0:02:43 > 0:02:46is a very personal one.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49My connection to stammering was through my father,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51who had a very severe stammer.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56And because it was felt there was no possible cure,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58one didn't therefore delve into it.
0:02:58 > 0:03:04I would feel highly embarrassed asking my father why he stammered.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07We just lived with it.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10And it was very difficult for him.
0:03:12 > 0:03:18When I heard that there was a therapy which might have avoided this, I thought,
0:03:18 > 0:03:24"How utterly different his life might have been if he had this kind of therapy."
0:03:28 > 0:03:33Welcome to the first day of our group, our two weeks working together.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38So all of you have been stammering already for quite a long time.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43And what we've got is two weeks to help you with your speech.
0:03:43 > 0:03:49The next two weeks on this intensive course aim to build the pupils' confidence and teach them new
0:03:49 > 0:03:53fluency techniques, but ultimately it will be down to the hard work and
0:03:53 > 0:03:56determination of the stammerers themselves that will decide how
0:03:56 > 0:04:02much their speech improves, and whether they can take control of their stammers.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05For ten-year-old Aidan, who's suffered from a stammer
0:04:05 > 0:04:11since he was five, stammer school is a world away from his home in a quiet part of Scotland.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Aidan is learning to play the bass guitar,
0:04:19 > 0:04:24and has his brothers Callum and Owen on hand to practise with.
0:04:24 > 0:04:31It's good to play the bass because I don't have to speak and that makes it better.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37So I have more confidence when I'm playing instead of speaking.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Aidan's stammer, I think it affects him quite a lot.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44My shoulders and neck, like...
0:04:46 > 0:04:53..tense up. And it's kind of like I can't breathe, a wee bit.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57When Aidan stammers, I don't try to do much
0:04:57 > 0:05:00because I feel quite bad correcting him about what he's saying.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04I sometimes finish off his sentences,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09but sometimes I think that's not the thing to do.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Initially, when it became very apparent that he had very obviously
0:05:13 > 0:05:18a stammer, it was very stressful and distressing, upsetting.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Because if you imagine trying to play a game with your child,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23trying to do homework with your child,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26but you can't understand what your child is saying, necessarily.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But also you are aware of the fact that they have so much to say
0:05:29 > 0:05:33and only a fraction that is actually coming out.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37I've not met anybody...
0:05:37 > 0:05:41..with a stammer like mine.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46It feels kind of strange to kind of feel like
0:05:46 > 0:05:49the only person with a stammer.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Back at the stammer school, the pupils get a chance
0:05:53 > 0:05:56to spell out their hopes and dreams for the course.
0:05:56 > 0:06:02To know more about what will help our speech get better.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06All of this is a leap into the unknown for the group,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and the challenge of the next two weeks is really starting to sink in.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13One pupil who's feeling particularly nervous
0:06:13 > 0:06:17is 14-year-old Charlotte, who lives with her mum and dad in Stafford.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I am the...
0:06:24 > 0:06:27the...the
0:06:27 > 0:06:32only one in...school with a...
0:06:32 > 0:06:40a stammer. And I do.. And I do... And I do... And I do...
0:06:40 > 0:06:47I do feel the...the...
0:06:47 > 0:06:54the odd one... The odd one out, like.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Charlotte used to have problems in answering her name in the register
0:06:58 > 0:07:00in the morning. And the teachers
0:07:00 > 0:07:03used to stand and wait for five minutes,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06waiting for her to answer, which was totally humiliating.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10So we had a pink card made, which Charlotte
0:07:10 > 0:07:14hands to every new teacher. It says,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16"I have a stammer, please do not ask me direct questions."
0:07:16 > 0:07:18And I have been...
0:07:21 > 0:07:25..bullied at school.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30And it does... And it does... It does...
0:07:30 > 0:07:33It does make...
0:07:36 > 0:07:38..me sad and angry.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42How confident do you feel at the moment, Charls?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46A bit scared and nervous.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- Most of the time?- Yeah.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Everything she thinks about doing,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53her stammer just comes in the way of it because
0:07:53 > 0:07:56it makes her scared to do anything.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00It totally affects her whole life. I think it controls her life.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10It's time for a bit of soul searching at stammer school, as the
0:08:10 > 0:08:14group are given a real challenge - draw your own stammer.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16It's very difficult to explain a stammer in words,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19so using pictures may give our pupils their
0:08:19 > 0:08:24first opportunity to express what their stammers really feel like.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28One of the things that we had to do today was to draw our stammer.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33It showed a picture of me... punching someone.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38But that is kind of what I want to do
0:08:38 > 0:08:44when somebody looks at me strangely.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Well, that's me talking, and I'm OK then.
0:08:48 > 0:08:55And then when I start stammering I sort of fall down the cliff,
0:08:55 > 0:09:03and then as I walk up the steps it sort of gets better.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I did draw my...
0:09:09 > 0:09:13..my stammer
0:09:13 > 0:09:18as a...brick wall.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23Because it is hard to get
0:09:23 > 0:09:26things out.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28And I do...
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I do...
0:09:30 > 0:09:34I do feel
0:09:34 > 0:09:39like hitting a wall sometimes.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44A big city like London can be a nerve-wracking prospect, especially
0:09:44 > 0:09:51for someone like ten-year-old Lili, who's used to a very peaceful life with her family in West Wales.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04I live on a farm and it's got thousands of trees around it,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08and it's about 200 acres.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13And I love it because it's very peaceful. And it's, like,
0:10:13 > 0:10:20no strangers will come along. And that's a happy thing.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25I find it quite upsetting when I stammer in front of people,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28especially with people that tease me.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Cos some people say to me, "Why do you do that?"
0:10:33 > 0:10:37And some of them just go,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42"Is it a disability or is it contagious?"
0:10:42 > 0:10:43And I'm like, "No."
0:10:43 > 0:10:48It's not going to be that long until Lili starts secondary school,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and for that reason, I'm concerned about the effect
0:10:52 > 0:10:56of what older children may feel towards Lily,
0:10:56 > 0:11:01because they don't totally understand her situation.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05And for that reason, I'm worried that she'll be bullied.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Having been brave enough to draw their stammer, the pupils now have
0:11:09 > 0:11:14a breakthrough opportunity to open up and talk about how they speak.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19And if they can understand their stammer, they can fight it.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Sometimes you're afraid to say what you want to say.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28And it's very hard because you're afraid that you're going to stammer.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33- Tom.- If you're in a discussion, people, like,
0:11:33 > 0:11:38they think you're finished and they just go on to the next person.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40OK. Charlotte.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41You do...
0:11:45 > 0:11:51..talk...quietly.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55So Charlotte has probably been the quietest member of the group today.
0:11:55 > 0:12:03She has participated in group discussions, but she's generally found that quite hard.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08And I get the impression that she's very used to opting out of talking.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Isa, anything else about what happens when people stammer?
0:12:11 > 0:12:13You, like, get...
0:12:16 > 0:12:19..blocked. And the sound gets, like...
0:12:21 > 0:12:22..blocked.
0:12:22 > 0:12:2613-year-old Isa, in particular, has much to gain from the course.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37Home isn't so far away for Isa, as his dad runs a cafe in South London.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40On weekends, he likes to lend a hand.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45I volunteer...
0:12:49 > 0:12:53..on Saturdays and Sundays.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Cos it's, like...
0:12:56 > 0:13:00fun and it helps my dad as well.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Why is it fun for you?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Because I can, like...
0:13:06 > 0:13:12talk to the customers and everything else.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Cos I'm from Japan and my husband's from Turkey,
0:13:17 > 0:13:18so Isa speaks three languages.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27He stammers equally in each language.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I have only one son and I want him to have better future.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50You will pass all those bridges without any problems.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55I'm sure you can do, Isa. If you are my son, you can do.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02As we reach the end of the first week, the pupils are
0:14:02 > 0:14:06working hard on a fluency technique that slows their speech
0:14:06 > 0:14:08right down and helps them take control.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12They have to listen and read along to speech therapist Kevin
0:14:12 > 0:14:15as he very slowly recites a story about Tarzan.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18This gradually allows each stammerer
0:14:18 > 0:14:23to dismantle their speech and almost learn to talk again from scratch.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Tar-zan was run-ning.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30We have to do it a very slow
0:14:30 > 0:14:32way, like...this.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35And we have to keep it the same
0:14:35 > 0:14:37sound,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42the same rhythm of sound, even if it gets exciting.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47It was a...huge gorilla.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50How do you think you got on with the pausing this time?
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- Better.- Yeah.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- It wasn't quite so exaggerated.- No.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Without any sign...
0:14:59 > 0:15:02of panic.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05The Tarzan assignment requires a lot of concentration
0:15:05 > 0:15:08but the pupils' next task is an even trickier one -
0:15:08 > 0:15:12to teach a therapist how to stammer like they do.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Isa, tell me about your stammer.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17I sometimes get, like,...
0:15:17 > 0:15:20completely...
0:15:20 > 0:15:22blocked
0:15:22 > 0:15:24around, like, my throat.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29And, like, the...words get stuck.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32If Isa can understand his stammer enough to teach Ali the therapist
0:15:32 > 0:15:36how to do it, then he may be able to take control of it himself.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38When I say, like,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40a word, like,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43"w", it gets... blocked around my lips.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47OK, so maybe we should have a word beginning with "w" in the sentence.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49What happens to your face?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52It gets tense, like...
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Like that? And your eyes?
0:15:54 > 0:16:00- They shut a bit.- OK. So how...
0:16:00 > 0:16:03would you feel if you
0:16:03 > 0:16:06s...stammered?
0:16:06 > 0:16:10I think Ali did....
0:16:10 > 0:16:15pretty well copying my stammer because
0:16:15 > 0:16:17it was...
0:16:17 > 0:16:22just l...like...
0:16:22 > 0:16:23mine.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Helping the children with their speech is a big part of the course
0:16:28 > 0:16:32but equally important is allowing the pupils to get to know each other.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Building their confidence and showing them
0:16:35 > 0:16:38that there's no need to feel isolated with a stammer.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40We're all... get...
0:16:40 > 0:16:43getting on quite well.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45For most of the children, this is the first time
0:16:45 > 0:16:49they've been able to make friends with other stammerers
0:16:49 > 0:16:52and that feeling of safety can be a big leap forward
0:16:52 > 0:16:54in dealing with their speech.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58We usually spend lunch...
0:16:58 > 0:17:01at the park and there's a...
0:17:01 > 0:17:03playground next to the park.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11It's really nice to see Isa playing with other kids.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13He's settled very nicely
0:17:13 > 0:17:18and I wasn't expecting Isa to be friends with other kids so quickly.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20So by the end of the first week,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23there's a real sense of the group coming together as friends.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31However one of the pupils was absent from the park - Charlotte.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's been a nervous first week for the 14-year-old
0:17:34 > 0:17:37so she's trying to relax over the weekend with a bit of sightseeing.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41It's the first time we've come as a family to London.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44We were all a little bit nervous.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46We seem to have calmed down a bit now.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I did
0:17:51 > 0:17:52go on the...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54the, the, the
0:17:54 > 0:17:55London Eye.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00My high bit was the...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03view and it was
0:18:03 > 0:18:06c... wicked.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12This is a good opportunity for Charlotte to reflect on the course
0:18:12 > 0:18:18so far but with just one week left, she still has a very long way to go.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23As the course reaches its second week,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27the stammer school is joined by a surprise visitor.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Good morning. Welcome. We have a special guest today.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Hello everyone. Hi.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35- Hello there.- Hi. How are you?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Michael. Nice to see you.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39This morning,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Michael P...
0:18:42 > 0:18:43Palin
0:18:43 > 0:18:45came in
0:18:45 > 0:18:51and it...was really surprising because he's all famous and stuff.
0:18:51 > 0:18:57He saw us when he just came in that we were doing the praise presents
0:18:57 > 0:18:59and mine was to Charlotte.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Dear Charlotte.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I think you...
0:19:05 > 0:19:09are a lovely...
0:19:09 > 0:19:12a lovely girl
0:19:12 > 0:19:18and you're such a good friend.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22I loved seeing their personalities come out.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I loved feeling that within that group,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26they feel they can say things to each other.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Dear...Isa.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37You are...really fun.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41We have had...
0:19:42 > 0:19:46..lots of fun in the park. From Tom.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50It was quite cool that a famous person
0:19:50 > 0:19:53wanted to come and see us because normally it's
0:19:53 > 0:19:57us that would want to go and see a famous person like Michael Palin.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01- Do you live in London?- No.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04You have to come and stay then? Sorry!
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Go away! We're talking!
0:20:11 > 0:20:16With two days to go, our pupils are facing their biggest challenge yet.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19To most children, buying a bite to eat from a market stall
0:20:19 > 0:20:20might seem simple
0:20:20 > 0:20:23but to our stammerers, it can be their worst nightmare.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Tackling this head on,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28the group have been sent outside to the nearby Exmouth Market to
0:20:28 > 0:20:32test out their fluency on complete strangers and rate how they get on.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- Can I get a...sam...samosa?- Yeah.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- Sure.- How...How much does it cost?
0:20:42 > 0:20:47- That's £1, please.- I just had to ask for some food from...
0:20:49 > 0:20:52..an Indian food stall.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57My confidence was quite high
0:20:57 > 0:21:02already so it wasn't that bad but I...
0:21:02 > 0:21:05wasn't as focused
0:21:05 > 0:21:08as I hoped to be.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Can I get a s...
0:21:11 > 0:21:12samosa, please?
0:21:12 > 0:21:13Yeah, sure.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- How much is that? - That's a pound please.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Thank you. I...was...
0:21:25 > 0:21:27..slightly...
0:21:32 > 0:21:34nervous but
0:21:34 > 0:21:36it was all right, yeah.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43- What is this?- Chocolate brownies.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- And this?- This is called a chocolate puzzle cake.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49OK. Can we please have one of those?
0:21:49 > 0:21:51- A brownie?- Yes, please.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55I rated myself, my confidence was about,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59eight, seven out of ten and I think I was really confident there.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05That's £2 please.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07I did... feel... quite...
0:22:07 > 0:22:10scared at...
0:22:10 > 0:22:11first.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16How much is... a chocolate brownie?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18It is £2.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19I do... feel
0:22:19 > 0:22:24really proud of myself because I...
0:22:24 > 0:22:27couldn't have...
0:22:27 > 0:22:30done... that...
0:22:30 > 0:22:32before.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36It's not just the pupils who are learning some valuable lessons.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I've been made to realise that I do too much for Charlotte.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I talk for her, I do everything for her.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46It's going to be a matter of being cruel to be kind,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49that Charlotte is going to have to start talking more.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53I'm going to encourage her to talk to different people,
0:22:53 > 0:22:54ask for things herself.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57It's a matter of me being as brave as Charlotte.
0:22:59 > 0:23:05As the course draws to a close, the group faces their most difficult
0:23:05 > 0:23:09challenge and something that some stammerers never master -
0:23:09 > 0:23:11speaking in front of an audience.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15What we're going to do is a speaking circle
0:23:15 > 0:23:19and you're going to be taking it in turns to come up to the front.
0:23:19 > 0:23:25Then what we will ask you to do is to talk for about 30 seconds.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27You can talk about whatever you like.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Two weeks ago, none of the group would have dared to try
0:23:30 > 0:23:32something as daunting as this.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37The children had to get up and do a little bit of talking for 30 seconds
0:23:37 > 0:23:39about any subject they wanted to.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I really thought Charlotte wouldn't get up and do it.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45You're going to sit, OK.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I was anxious that she was going to struggle
0:23:51 > 0:23:53to say what she wanted to say.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- You start when you're ready.- I am...
0:24:06 > 0:24:08really glad...
0:24:08 > 0:24:15that I came on the...on the course.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Because it has...
0:24:17 > 0:24:20has helped a lot with
0:24:20 > 0:24:23my...with...
0:24:23 > 0:24:27my stammer
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and my...
0:24:29 > 0:24:33my...confidence.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37APPLAUSE
0:24:40 > 0:24:43For her to sit there in front of people
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and just talk fluently how she did,
0:24:45 > 0:24:51I just felt really emotional and I thought, how brave she was to do it.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56So it's graduation day for Stammer School
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and that means a lot of very grateful families.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03If children can leave here with there stammerer reduced,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06their fluency and confidence restored,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09it is the most extraordinary, wonderful feeling,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11one of the best feelings you could possibly have.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16My confidence has improved so much.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19I actually can't...believe it.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I think the last two weeks, for Lily,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24has absolutely changed her life.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Her fluency and speech has dramatically changed,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30not just a little bit, but she's a different girl.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And for Aidan - he no longer feels like the only child
0:25:33 > 0:25:35in the world with a stammer.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It's quite sad, leaving...leaving the course
0:25:38 > 0:25:40and stuff behind and our friends.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43He did say to me very early on in the course,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I feel less lonely, Mummy.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I was almost ready to go home at that point.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51I think I will...
0:25:51 > 0:25:53keep in touch a lot.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57It seems his life is changing,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01he is getting more sure and more responsible
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and his speech is even getting better.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06I think that...
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Charlotte has had the biggest...
0:26:09 > 0:26:11impact...
0:26:11 > 0:26:14on her confidence and her stammer.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18On the first day, I couldn't understand what she said but
0:26:18 > 0:26:23now, she is speaking full sentences with me and I'm like, wow!
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Going back home, I...
0:26:26 > 0:26:30think I will be...
0:26:30 > 0:26:31be..
0:26:31 > 0:26:36be more confident talking
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and I will...
0:26:39 > 0:26:42be smiling more,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I think.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It's such a basic thing,
0:26:49 > 0:26:55being able to talk and express what you have in your mind.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58The fact that some of these children don't have that when they come here,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02and yet, when they leave, they feel they can say what
0:27:02 > 0:27:06they want to say - it's freeing them up, it's loosening the bonds,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08it's a great thing to be able to do.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15My name's Lily and I'm 10 years old.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17My name's Tom and I'm 13 years old.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19My name's Aiden...
0:27:19 > 0:27:23and I'm 11... years old.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26My name is Oscar and I'm 13 years old.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30My name is Isa and I'm 13 years old.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35My name is Charlotte
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and I am 14 years old.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk