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Obituary - Dr. Lena Rustin
DSc (Hon), MPhil, FRCSLT, Reg MRCSLT
Inspirational pioneer in the treatment of stammering and co-founder of the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children
Lena Rustin gained a reputation that was both national and international for the outstanding contribution she made to the speech and language therapy profession, particularly in the field of stammering.
From 1976-95, she continuously held managerial posts in Speech and Language Therapy in Camden and Islington, a highly complex and challenging District in Inner London. It was her mission to develop a range of specialist speech and language therapy posts across a number of disorders of communication and she understood the need to value, support and develop staff in order to engender a strong sense of loyalty to the service. She was never daunted by change, and always viewed the successive restructuring of the NHS and new policies as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Diminutive in stature, Lena's dynamic personality profoundly influenced the profile of the profession and her dedication to her clinical work was inspirational. She demonstrated a passionate determination to provide a first class service for children who stammer and their families. Her vision was to prevent any child in the UK from suffering the debilitating effects of a stammer that can have a devastating impact on emotional, social and educational development.
Throughout her distinguished career, Lena worked both in the National Health Service and latterly in the charitable sector, demonstrating a single-minded commitment to the expansion of therapy services for children, adolescents and adults who stammer. Her lifetime mission was to open a Centre of Excellence for the treatment of stammering. To this end, she co-founded a charity, the Association for Research into Stammering in Childhood, and a Charity/National Health Service partnership was formed to set up the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children, which was opened in 1993 by its patron, Michael Palin. The Centre has attained a reputation which is national and international in the provision of a highly specialist service to children and young adults, and their families. Under her influence a research programme has been set up into the causes and treatment of stammering. She conducted highly successful workshops which have been developed into an extensive teaching programme for the training of speech and language therapists.
Following her retirement she worked with teachers and pupils, rabbis and student counsellors within the Jewish community.
Throughout her long career, Lena co-authored and edited a number of well respected books and contributed a range of chapters to important texts. All reflect her commitment to teaching clinicians practical skills in working with clients who stammer and their families. She had a remarkable ability to develop links with professionals across the globe, attending and presenting at international conferences and continuing to influence practice both in the UK and abroad.
She obtained her M.Phil in 1984 for her research into the intensive group treatment of stammering in adolescent clients.
In 1988 Lena was honoured by RCSLT for her exceptional work in the field of stammering and awarded an honorary fellowship. By 1990 she had received the North East Thames Regional Award for outstanding services to the National Health Service, she was Chair of the Ethics Committee for RCSLT and the Nominations Committee for the International Fluency Association. In 1991 she was a Member of the RCSLT International Affairs Committee and by 1994 was President of the International Fluency Association and an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology, University College London.
In 2003 she was given the award of Honorary Doctor of Science of the University of De Montfort. On her retirement she was made Vice President, with Michael Palin, of the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children.
Lena Rustin died on December 26, 2004. As in life, she showed her tremendous courage and determination as she struggled with cancer. The words "I'm hanging on in there!" were a constant refrain.
She is survived by her husband and two of their three daughters.
Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks writes:
Lena Rustin was one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. As well as successfully treating many children who stammer, she taught them and their families the essential habits of meeting challenges and sustaining relationships. She transformed their lives. Passionate, unafraid to pioneer new techniques, and utterly committed to children, she was one of the heroes of our time.
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Rees (10) only stammered at school and only in some lessons. It made
a real difference to him when we arranged an informal meeting for
him, his teacher and his parents. He came up with some sensible ideas
to help his teacher deal with those difficult moments.
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