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SpeechEasyTM- Frequently Asked
Questions
1. Background
1.1 What is SpeechEasyTM?
1.2 Who developed
SpeechEasyTM?
1.3 What is
altered auditory feedback?
1.4 How do
DAF and FAF help people who stutter become more fluent?
1.5 What evidence
is there of the fluency enhancing effects of DAF and FAF?
1.6 But I
heard DAF should only used to slow down the rate of speech in a
similar manner to what is taught in traditional therapies….
1.7 If AAF
has been around for so long, why has it taken so long for SpeechEasyTM
to be made available?
1.8 How did
the technology come about?
1.9 How long
has SpeechEasyTM been around?
1.10 Who
markets SpeechEasyTM?
2. Features
2.1 What models
of SpeechEasyTM are available?
2.2 Which
model is best?
2.3 How is
SpeechEasyTM programmed?
2.4 As the
gain can be controlled, can SpeechEasyTM damage my hearing?
2.5 Do I need
to wear a SpeechEasyTM device in both ears?
2.6 How do
I know SpeechEasyTM will fit my ear?
3. Efficacy
3.1 How effective
is SpeechEasyTM?
3.2 Do males
and females respond differently?
3.3 Will I
become fluent immediately?
3.4 Will SpeechEasyTM
cure stuttering?
3.5 How well
does SpeechEasyTM work in children?
3.6 Do the
effects of SpeechEasyTM wear off?
3.7 Have there
been any complaints about SpeechEasyTM?
3.8 Is there
scientific evidence to support the long-term benefits of SpeechEasyTM?
3.9 Is SpeechEasyTM
an alternative to stuttering therapy?
4. Availability
4.1 How do
I get a SpeechEasyTM device?
4.2 What does
the evaluation involve?
4.3 What's
the next step?
4.4 How long
will it be until I receive my custom SpeechEasyTM device?
4.5 What are
my payment options?
4.6 Will insurance
cover SpeechEasyTM?
1.1 What is SpeechEasyTM?
SpeechEasyTM is a wearable and inconspicuous fluency-enhancing
device for people who stutter. It is a prosthetic device that fits
IN-THE-EAR.
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1.2 Who developed SpeechEasyTM?
The impetus for developing SpeechEasyTM came from research
at the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department, East Carolina
University by inventors Joseph Kalinowski, Ph.D., Andrew Stuart,
Ph.D., and Michael Rastatter, Ph.D. Its conception was based on
10 years of peer-reviewed scientific research on the fluency enhancing
effects of altered auditory feedback in people who stutter.
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1.3 What is altered auditory feedback?
Altered auditory feedback (AAF) simply means hearing your own voice
in a manner that is slightly different from the way you normally
hear it. It allows the SpeechEasyTM user to listen to
his or her own voice with Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF), Frequency
Altered Feedback (FAF), or a combination of the two. Using DAF allows
the user to hear his or her own voice with a slight temporal delay,
similar to an echo. FAF allows the user to hear his or her own voice
with a shift in the pitch, so the signal heard is either at a slightly
higher or slightly lower pitch than the person's own voice.
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1.4 How do DAF and FAF help people who stutter become more fluent?
For years, it has been known that when people who stutter speak
the same material in unison with another speaker, they become fluent.
This is known as 'Choral Speech'. By allowing the user to hear his
or her own voice with a pitch shift, a slight time delay or a combination
of both, SpeechEasyTM creates the illusion of another
speaker speaking at the same time. It is an emulation of choral
speech.
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1.5 What evidence is there of the fluency enhancing the effects
of DAF and FAF?
Ten years of scientific research conducted at Dalhousie University
and East Carolina University have shown that the use of DAF and
FAF can significantly enhance fluency levels in a variety of situations
including reading, monologue, using the telephone and speaking in
front of an audience. This research has been published in top scientific
journals. (Please refer to the Links/References section of the website.)
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1.6 But I heard DAF should only be used to slow down the rate
of speech in a similar manner to what is taught in traditional therapies…..
Not true. The use of DAF with people who stutter has been around
for 50 years; but in the early days, long delays of 200 msec and
higher induced slower speaking rates which were thought to be responsible
for the higher fluency levels attained. Since then it has been found
that DAF enhances fluency at much smaller delays (50 - 100 msec),
and even at delays as minimal as 25 msec, without a decrease in
speech rate. Furthermore, DAF has shown to enhance fluency even
when speaking at fast rates. (Please refer to the Links/References
section of the website.)
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1.7 If AAF has been around for so long, why has it taken so
long for SpeechEasyTM to become available?
The use of AAF in helping people who stutter become more fluent
remained essentially a clinical challenge for such a long time due
to the large bulky devices that were used to provide the effects.
Only with recent technological advances have these effects been
captured in a device so small and inconspicuous, allowing them to
be used outside of clinical environments.
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1.8 How did the technology come about?
SpeechEasyTM employs the best digital technology on the
market. The computer chip that powers SpeechEasyTM was
developed by a Canadian company named Micro-DSP upon request from
the researchers at East Carolina University. The chip has the
power equivalent to what is found in a computer.
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1.9 How long has SpeechEasyTM been around?
East Carolina University received the first prototypes in April
2001. Since then Dr. Joseph Kalinowski (one of the inventors and
himself a severe stutterer) has been using SpeechEasyTM
to help him communicate, and finds the device invaluable. Sales
of SpeechEasyTM began in June 2001.
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1.10 Who markets SpeechEasyTM?
SpeechEasyTM is manufactured and marketed by Janus Development
Group, Inc., based in Greenville, NC. (www.janusdevelopment.com)
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2.1 What models of SpeechEasyTM are available?
SpeechEasyTM comes in three models (see SpeechEasyTM
models). The Behind-The-Ear (BTE) is an external device that fits
over the ear and attaches to a mold that fits in the ear. This is
the largest and most durable of the devices. The second is an In-The-Canal
(ITC) model. This model fits in the ear canal and is relatively
inconspicuous, with only the outer shell visible in the ear. The
ITC also features external gain (volume) control. The third model
is the Completely-In-Canal (CIC) model, which sits completely in
the ear canal. It is almost totally inconspicuous, and due to wide
dynamic range compression does not require external gain control.
This is the model chosen by most wearers.
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2.2 Which model is best?
That depends. For those who want the device to be as inconspicuous
as possible, obviously the CIC appears to be the best option (although
it is priced slightly higher than the ITC). However, for some people
with smaller ear canals, a CIC may not be a viable option. Also,
some people may require or prefer the external gain control option.
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2.3 How is SpeechEasyTM programmed?
SpeechEasyTM is programmed by a specially trained and
licensed Speech Pathology Provider using a Personal Computer and
SpeechEasyTM software. DAF can be programmed from 1 to
128 msec, and FAF can be set at 500, 1000, 1500 or 2000 Hz shifts
up or down. An internal gain control can also be programmed with
the gain for eight frequency channels adjustable to produce the
best signal. With this flexibility, SpeechEasyTM can
be programmed to match the needs of most individuals who stutter.
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2.4 As the gain can be controlled, can SpeechEasyTM
damage my hearing?
No. SpeechEasyTM is not designed to provide enough gain
to damage hearing. It is custom programmed at a comfortable loudness
level.
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2.5 Do I need to wear a SpeechEasyTM device in both
ears?
Research has shown that fluency enhancement derived from receiving
the effects binaurally is more effective but the difference may
not be clinically significant. It should be noted, however, that
monaural (one ear) effects do significantly inhibit stuttering frequency
compared to non-altered auditory feedback. At present we recommend
SpeechEasyTM for monaural use, and early results from
our clients suggest that the effects are robust enough not to warrant
binaural use.
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2.6 How do I know SpeechEasyTM will fit my ear?
Each SpeechEasyTM device is custom fit to an individual's
ear canal. An audiologist takes an ear impression and the device
is custom made for an individual using the impression of their ear.
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3.1 How effective is SpeechEasyTM?
SpeechEasyTM has now been tested on over 200 people who
stutter. Nearly everyone who has tried the device has improved his
or her fluency level. However, levels of fluency enhancement have
varied from about 50% improvement up to 95% improvement.
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3.2 Do males and females respond differently?
No differences have been observed in the effectiveness of SpeechEasyTM
across genders.
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3.3 Will I become fluent immediately?
Some people are especially susceptible to the effects of AAF and
seem to become fluent shortly after inserting the SpeechEasyTM
device. However, some people require minimal training to derive
the best benefits. During the assessment, the SpeechEasyTM
Provider will train the user over a period of about two hours to
derive the best benefits. During this time, most users become comfortable
using the effects and experience a continual enhancement of fluency.
However, many users have stated that after they receive the device
and use it for a few days, employing the easy strategies taught
by the provider, they achieve their highest fluency levels.
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3.4 Will SpeechEasyTM cure stuttering?
SpeechEasyTM is NOT a cure for stuttering. We compare
using the device to wearing glasses. The effects are present while
the device is in use and absent upon removal of the device. Some
users report 'carry-over' fluency, meaning that their fluency persists
for some time after removal of SpeechEasyTM. However,
no data exists to support this notion, and it is recommended that
users of SpeechEasyTM wear the device as often as possible
to get the best effects.
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3.5 How well does SpeechEasyTM work in children?
Children seem especially susceptible to the beneficial effects of
SpeechEasyTM. Almost every child tested to date has responded
very well, showing very high levels of fluency while wearing SpeechEasyTM
with almost no training. It should be noted that the ITC model is
recommended for children.
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3.6 Do the effects of SpeechEasyTM wear off?
Many people who stutter complain about relapse following traditional
therapy, and this is an understandable concern. To date, nobody
has complained about 'adapting' to the effects with SpeechEasyTM
losing its power. On the contrary, most people who use SpeechEasyTM
claim that as they get accustomed to the device and learn to integrate
the signal, their fluency levels seem to continue to improve.
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3.7 Have there been any complaints about SpeechEasyTM?
The only complaint has been that SpeechEasyTM picks up
external noise as well as a person's own speech, causing the signal
to be distracting or lose its potency. However, these complaints
have been very few and typically come from users who work or spend
time in very noisy environments. There is new software available
to program SpeechEasyTM with features designed to reduce
this problem. Upgrades are free to any current SpeechEasyTM
customer.
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3.8 Is there scientific evidence to support the long-term benefits
of SpeechEasyTM?
Ten years of research have been conducted to test the effects of
AAF, but to date no long-term data is available using AAF in an
in-the-ear device. One long-term efficacy study is underway, and
others are in the making. However, inventors and producers were
reluctant to further delay the availability of SpeechEasyTM
for people who want to realize the benefits now.
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3.9 Is SpeechEasyTM an alternative to stuttering
therapy?
SpeechEasyTM may be viewed as an alternative or adjunct
to stuttering therapy. Some users require no further training when
using SpeechEasyTM, and some require minimal training.
People who have learned traditional therapy techniques and employ
them when using SpeechEasyTM report much higher levels
of fluency enhancement and more natural sounding speech when using
SpeechEasyTM.
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4.1 How do I get a SpeechEasyTM device?
The first step is to contact the SpeechEasyTM Provider
closest to you. This device is still relatively new and Janus Development
is in the process of setting up competent dispensers who are certified
Speech Language Pathologists, across the country and around the
world. The Provider will be able to set up an appointment for a
person to come in and be evaluated using the SpeechEasyTM
device.
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4.2 What does the evaluation involve?
The evaluation consists of a basic stuttering evaluation, followed
by testing of a demo SpeechEasyTM model under various
settings and during different speech tasks.
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4.3 What's the next step?
If a person decides that he or she likes the effects and chooses
to purchase a SpeechEasyTM, an ear mold impression needs
to be taken by an audiologist, along with a hearing evaluation.
The ear mold impression is then sent to a lab for custom assembly
of the device. NOTE: Due to lack of ready access to an audiologist,
some Providers ask clients to see an audiologist ahead of time,
and bring with them a hearing evaluation and ear impression. This
speeds up the overall process.
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4.4 How long will it be until I receive my custom SpeechEasyTM
device?
Allow two weeks following the assessment to receive the SpeechEasyTM
device.
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4.5 What are my payment options?
Full payment of the purchase price is required before the ear mold
impression can be sent to the lab for assembly of the device. Janus
Development is exploring relationships with finance and credit card
companies, but none exist at present.
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4.6 Will insurance cover SpeechEasyTM?
Janus Development is currently investigating the possibilities of
insurance coverage for SpeechEasyTM. At this point, it
is suggested that potential customers contact their own insurance
companies for information regarding coverage.
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SpeechEasy
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