Background
1.1 What is SpeechEasyä?
1.2 Who developed SpeechEasyä?
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 SpeechEasyä
to be made available?
1.8 How did the technology come about?
1.9 How long has SpeechEasyä been around?
1.10 Who markets SpeechEasyä?
Features
2.1 What models of SpeechEasyä are available?
2.2 Which model is best?
2.3 How is SpeechEasyä programmed?
2.4 As the gain can be controlled, can SpeechEasyä
damage my hearing?
2.5 Do I need to wear a SpeechEasyä device in both ears?
2.6 How do I know SpeechEasyä will fit my ear?
Efficacy
3.1 How effective is SpeechEasyä?
3.2 Do males and females respond differently?
3.3 Will I become fluent immediately?
3.4 Will SpeechEasyä cure stuttering?
3.5 How well does SpeechEasyä work in children?
3.6 Do the effects of SpeechEasyä wear off?
3.7 Have there been any complaints about SpeechEasyä?
3.8 Is there scientific evidence to support the long-term benefits of SpeechEasyä?
3.9 Is SpeechEasyä an alternative to stuttering therapy?
Availability
4.1 How do I get a SpeechEasyä 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 SpeechEasyä device?
4.5 What are my payment options?
4.6 Will insurance cover SpeechEasyä?
1.1
1.1 What is SpeechEasyä?
SpeechEasyä
is a fully portable and inconspicuous fluency-enhancing device for people who stutter. It is a prosthetic device that fits in the ear.
1.2
1.2 Who developed SpeechEasyä?
The impetus for developing SpeechEasyä
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.
1.3
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 SpeechEasyä
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.
1.4
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, SpeechEasyä
creates the illusion of another speaker speaking at the same time. It is an emulation of
choral speech.
1.5
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.)
1.6
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 ms 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 ms), and
even at delays as minimal as 25 ms, 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.)
1.7
1.7 If AAF has been around for so long, why has it taken so long for SpeechEasyä
to become available?
The use of AAF in helping people who stutter become more fluent remained essentially a clinical phenomenon 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.
1.8
1.8 How did the technology come about?
SpeechEasyä
employs the best digital technology on the market. The computer chip that powers SpeechEasyä
was developed by a Canadian company named Micro-DSP upon request from the researchers at East Carolina University. The chip has the
power equivalent of a desktop computer.
1.9
1.9 How long has SpeechEasyä 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 SpeechEasyä
to help him communicate, and finds the device invaluable. Sales of SpeechEasyä
began in June 2001.
1.10
1.10 Who markets SpeechEasyä?
SpeechEasyä
is manufactured and marketed by Janus Development Group, Inc., based in Greenville, NC. (
)
2.1
2.1 What models of SpeechEasyä are available?
SpeechEasyä
comes in three models (see pictures on Janus website). 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 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.
2.2
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.
2.3
2.3 How is SpeechEasyä programmed?
SpeechEasyä
is programmed using a Personal Computer and SpeechEasyä
software. DAF can be programmed from 25 to 128ms, 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, SpeechEasyä
can be programmed to match the needs of most individuals who stutter.
2.4
2.4 As the gain can be controlled, can SpeechEasyä damage my hearing?
No. SpeechEasyä is not designed to provide enough gain to damage hearing.
It is custom programmed at a comfortable loudness level.
2.5
2.5 Do I need to wear a SpeechEasyä device in both ears?
Research has shown that fluency enhancement derived from receiving the effects binaurally is the most effective. It should
be noted, however, that monaural effects significantly inhibit stuttering frequency compared to non-altered auditory feedback.
At present we recommend SpeechEasyä for monaural use, and early results from
our clients suggest that the effects are robust enough not to warrant binaural use.
2.6
2.6 How do I know SpeechEasyä will fit my ear?
Each SpeechEasyädevice is custom fit to an individual’s ear canal.
An audiologist takes an ear mold impression and the device is custom made for an individual using the impression of their ear.
3.1
3.1 How effective is SpeechEasyä?
SpeechEasyä 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.
3.2
3.2 Do males and females respond differently?
No differences have been observed in the effectiveness of SpeechEasyä
across genders.
3.3
3.3 Will I become fluent immediately?
Some people are especially susceptible to the effects of AAF and seem to become fluent almost immediately upon
inserting the SpeechEasyä
device. However, some people require minimal training to derive the best benefits. During the assessment, the
SpeechEasyä Dispenser 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 see 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 dispenser, they achieve their highest fluency levels.
3.4
3.4 Will SpeechEasyä cure stuttering?
SpeechEasyä 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 SpeechEasyä
. However, no data exists to support this notion, and it is recommended that users of SpeechEasyä
wear the device as often as possible to get the best effects.
3.5
3.5 How well does SpeechEasyä work in children?
Children seem especially susceptible to the beneficial effects of SpeechEasyä
Every child tested to date has responded very well, showing very high levels of fluency while wearing
SpeechEasyä with almost no training. It should be noted that the ITC model
is recommended for children.
3.6
3.6 Do the effects of SpeechEasyä 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 SpeechEasyä
losing its power. On the contrary, most people who use SpeechEasyä
claim that as they get accustomed to the device and learn to integrate the signal, their fluency levels seem to continue to improve.
3.7
3.7 Have there been any complaints about SpeechEasyä?
The only complaint has been that SpeechEasyä 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,
typically from users who work or spend time in very noisy environments. There is new software available to program
SpeechEasyä with features designed to reduce this problem. Upgrades are free to
any current SpeechEasyä customer.
3.8
3.8 Is there scientific evidence to support the long-term benefits of SpeechEasyä?
Ten years of research have been conducted to test the effects of AAF, but to date no long-term data is available using 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 SpeechEasyä for people who want to realize the benefits now.
3.9
3.9 Is SpeechEasyä an alternative to stuttering therapy?
SpeechEasyä
may be viewed as an alternative or adjunct to stuttering therapy. Some users require no further training when using
SpeechEasyä, and some require minimal training. People who have
learned traditional therapy techniques and employ them when using SpeechEasyä
report much higher levels of fluency enhancement and more natural sounding speech when using
SpeechEasyä.
4.1
4.1 How do I get a SpeechEasyä device?
The first step is to contact the SpeechEasyä
Dispenser closest to you. This device is still relatively new and Janus Development is in the process of setting
up competent dealers who are certified Speech Language Pathologists, across the country and around the world.
The Dispenser will be able to set up an appointment for a person to come in and be evaluated using the
SpeechEasyä device.
4.2
4.2 What does the evaluation involve?
The evaluation consists of a basic stuttering evaluation, followed by testing of a demo SpeechEasyä
model under various settings and during different speech tasks.
4.3
4.3 What’s the next step?
If a person decides that he or she likes the effects and chooses to purchase SpeechEasyä
, 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 shell lab for custom assembly of the device. NOTE: Due to lack of ready access to an audiologist, some Dispensers ask clients to see an
audiologist ahead of time, and bring with them a hearing evaluation and ear mold impressions. This speeds up the overall process.
4.4
4.4 How long will it be until I receive my custom SpeechEasyädevice?
Allow two weeks following the assessment to receive the SpeechEasyädevice.
4.5
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.
4.6
4.6 Will insurance cover SpeechEasyä?
Janus Development is currently investigating the possibilities of insurance coverage for SpeechEasyä.
At this point, it is suggested that potential customers contact their own insurance companies for information regarding coverage.
