Are stuttering devices helpful?
Smoothly flowing speech requires rapid and precise timing of the speaker’s lips and tongue, consistent vocal fold vibration and a relaxed breath. The majority of stuttering therapies focus on helping the stutterer to maintain the motor timing required for speaking. In many cases, the stutterer can learn to speak more fluently in therapy but has great difficulty using the learned ‘controls’ in everyday speaking situations.
The SpeechEasy® and Fluency Master are two portable feedback devices found to be effective in enabling persons who stutter to speak more fluently. Fortunately, being able to speak with less stuttering and more control decreases the stutterer’s anxiety about speaking.
SpeechEasy is similar in appearance to a hearing aid. However, rather than amplifying sound, SpeechEasy alters sounds that goes through the device so that you hear your voice at a slight time delay and at a different pitch. The purpose of the delay and pitch change is to recreate a natural phenomenon known as the “choral effect.” For more information go to www.speecheasy.com.
When using the Fluency Master the vocal tone signal is heard by the speaker as a masking tone or buzz in the speaker’s ear as he or she speaks. For more information go to www.stutteringcontrol.com.
The goal in using either device is to initiate the first sound of a word easily and to keep the sound going through the end of the sentence or thought. Both devices can be helpful for some stutterers. Evaluation must be by a certified speech language pathologist who has an expertise in fluency or stuttering. |
