Introduction
Penguin: Stammering Support (Penguin), was created to give parents and carers of children who stammer practical tools and reassurance while waiting for speech and language therapy. What began as a small pilot has grew into a trusted resource used across the UK and beyond, delivering hope and support to thousands of families during one of the most uncertain moments of their lives.
The Challenge
Stammering affects between 5–8% of children (1), and over 500,000 children in the UK are living with a stammer (2). Yet children’s speech and language therapy services face the longest wait times of any NHS community service, with families often waiting around 45 weeks for support (3).This waiting period can be deeply stressful for parents, filled with worry and uncertainty about their child’s future. Without guidance, many families feel isolated and unsure how best to help their child while they wait.
The Solution: Penguin
Penguin was developed as a mobile app providing a 10-day course of curated, evidence-based content, designed by qualified speech and language therapists (SLTs) and aligned with NHS guidelines. It focused on:
- Reducing parental anxiety and worry
- Strengthening parent–child interactions
- Building confidence and understanding
- Offering simple, daily activities that families could revisit any time
With its calm, reassuring tone and clear, structured content, Penguin aimed to bridge the gap while families awaited formal therapy.
“Lovely calm and reassuring tone of voice from both speakers.”
Jenny, SLT
“The content was a good summary of key points.”
Karen, Parent
Early Results: Real Impact for Families
A preliminary study with Leeds Beckett University collected feedback from 91 parents and revealed powerful results (4):
- 71% felt more hopeful about their child’s future
- 62% felt less concerned about their child’s stammering
- 61% felt less worried overall
These numbers reflected more than just statistics, they represented parents gaining peace of mind and children feeling supported and understood.
“This app is truly a dream come true and I thank you on behalf of so many parents facing this journey.”
Dori, Parent
“I feel better being more informed… I accept more that it is part of him and want to do my best to support and encourage him.”
Parent
National Adoption: Scaling Across the NHS
Penguin’s impact quickly captured the attention of NHS speech and language therapy teams. Within a year, it had been integrated into care pathways at 16 NHS Trusts. Soon after, its use expanded dramatically, and it has now been adopted by 48 NHS Trusts across the UK.
Penguin seamlessly fit into existing care pathways, enabling SLTs to support families even before a first appointment. This helped reduce anxiety, improve engagement, and ensure that families arrived at therapy better prepared.
“I’ve now had a few parents who have worked through the Penguin app… including a mum yesterday who now doesn’t cry every time she talks about her little boy’s stammering and even recommended it to his teacher at parents’ evening!”
Sharon, NHS Speech and Language Therapist
Global Reach
What started as a UK-focused pilot grew into a global resource. Penguin has been downloaded over 3,500 times in 88 countries, used by 1,987 parents and 777 SLTs. Families and professionals alike praised its clarity, usability, and positive impact.
The Legacy: Penguin to SuperPenguin
Penguin demonstrated that digital-first support could transform care. Building on its proven foundation, the team secured £1.5 million in NIHR funding to develop SuperPenguin, the next generation of the platform. The SuperPenguin team closed Penguin in the summer of 2025 to fully focus their developmental efforts on SuperPenguin.SuperPenguin will introduce:
- Personalised content tailored to each family’s needs
- Continual support and regular check-ins to track progress
- Patient satisfaction surveys and self-report tools
- Journaling and the ability to share content with family members and school staff
These new features will allow support to adapt as families’ needs evolve and create a clearer picture of progress over time, turning moments of waiting into opportunities for growth.
Conclusion
Penguin started as a pilot and became a nationwide digital support tool that changed lives. It offered families reassurance, empowered them to support their children, and helped transform NHS care pathways for stammering.
Though we are saying goodbye to Penguin, its spirit lives on in SuperPenguin, a platform designed to make stammering support more personalised, accessible, and sustainable than ever before.
“Thank you again for all the time and emotional energy you must have put into the development.” Sharon, Speech and Language Therapist
We are grateful to every family, clinician, and partner who trusted Penguin and helped us learn what works. This is just the beginning and we’re excited to continue this journey with you.
References
- Yairi, E. & Ambrose, N. (2013). Epidemiology of Stuttering: 21st Century Advances. Journal of Fluency Disorders.
- Action for Stammering Children (ASC), NHS England. Prevalence estimates for childhood stammering.
- NHS England (2023). Community Services Data: Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Waiting Times Report.
- Leeds Beckett University & Penguin (2023). Preliminary evaluation study with 91 parents.