Stuttering is a speech motor timing problem that may result in severe struggle and anxiety in saying certain words and sounds. Speech therapy can teach persons, who stutter to better accept their stuttering and to breathe, use smooth onsets and blend sounds together, but frequently it is hard to speak this way when faced with time pressure or a feared word or sound.

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.