Question: What is SpeechEasy®?
Answer: SpeechEasy® is a fully portable and inconspicuous fluency-enhancing prosthetic device for people who stutter.
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Question: Who developed SpeechEasy®?
Answer: The impetus
for developing SpeechEasy® 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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Question: What is altered auditory
feedback (AAF)?
Answer: 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 SpeechEasy® 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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Question: How do DAF and FAF help
people who stutter become more fluent?
Answer: 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, SpeechEasy® creates the illusion of another
speaker speaking at the same time. It is an emulation of
choral speech.
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Question: What evidence is there
of the fluency enhancing the effects of DAF and FAF?
Answer: 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.
For a comprehensive review of the literature available fluency effects of altered auditory feedback as a treatment of stuttering, please see the Journal of Fluency Disorders, Volume 31, Issue 2, 2006, page 71: Altered auditory feedback and the Treatment of stuttering: A Review by Michelle Lincoln, Ann Packman and Mark Onslow.
For a recent, peer-reviewed journal article describing research into the effects of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency in laboratory conditions, please see the Journal of Fluency Disorders, Volume 31, Issue 2, 2006, page 137: The Effect of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency in laboratory conditions by Joy Armson, Michael Kiefte, Jessica Mason and Dayani De Croos.
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Question: What models
of SpeechEasy® are available?
Answer: SpeechEasy® comes in one model, Advanced. The Basic model was discontinued in 2005. The SpeechEasy® Advanced has been upgraded once, and has the potential to be upgraded again in the future, as the designers discover new ways to improve the digital sound quality.
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Question: What shell styles of SpeechEasy® are
available?
Answer: SpeechEasy® comes in three ear-level styles, and one body-worn style. 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 ear-level devices. It features a second memory button (see below) and an external volume wheel for full flexibility. The second ear-level device is the In-The-Canal (ITC) style. This style fits in the ear canal and is relatively inconspicuous, with only the outer shell visible in the ear. The ITC features a second memory button and an external volume control. The third ear-level style is the Completely-In-Canal (CIC), which sits completely in the ear canal. It is almost totally inconspicuous. The CIC features a second memory button and, space-permitting, a screw-set volume control. The body-worn device is called “iSpeak” and it resembles an MP3 Player. iSpeak comes in three colours: black, white and pink.
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Question: Which shell style is best?
Answer: That depends. For those who want the device to be as inconspicuous as possible, the CIC appears to be the best option. 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 volume control option which means they may prefer the ITC, BTE or iSpeak styles. For people who prefer to have an unoccluded ear canal, in other words, an open ear canal fitting, the BTE provides the best option. For people looking for a more affordable and flexible option which requires no customization, the iSpeak would be the best option.
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Question: What are frequency-shaping
bands and what do they do?
Answer: Each frequency-shaping band represents an area of ‘resolution’ within the range of sound. This allows the Speech-Language Pathologist who fits the device to ‘fine-tune’ the sound to meet individual needs. This feature can be compared to a graphic equalizer on a sound system.
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Question: How does the Intelligent
Noise Attenuation Strategy® (INAS)
work?
Answer: INAS enables SpeechEasy® to analyze incoming
sound for information content, like speech, and instantly
to
accentuate the frequency ranges associated with these sounds
by reducing the volume of frequency ranges that contain
noise. The end result of this technology is that the user
experiences less distracting background noise and can wear
his/her SpeechEasy® with greater comfort.
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Question: How does the Effective
Voice Activation Technology® (EVAT)
work?
Answer: This feature is based on the strength and distance of sound waves. Stronger waves (from closer sources) are used to activate the SpeechEasy® device, while weaker sounds (from more distant sources) are muted. Ultimately, the wearer’s own voice is delayed and altered more so than the voices of others.
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Question: What are the benefits of
having an external volume control?
Answer: A SpeechEasy® device fitted with an external volume control can be adjusted manually by the user at any time. The added convenience of this feature can be extremely valuable in noisy situations.
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Question: What is the second memory
option and why would I need it?
Answer: Some SpeechEasy® users may need different setups for different environments. For example, you may find the setup of a combination of 60ms DAF and 500 FAF works well in some situations, while a combination of 70ms DAF and 0 FAF works better in other situations. With the dual memory option (standard on all SpeechEasy® devices), you only have to switch from one memory to the other to meet your needs.
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Question: How is SpeechEasy® programmed?
Answer: Our trained Speech-Language Pathologists program SpeechEasy® by using a Personal Computer and SpeechEasy® software. DAF can be programmed from 0 to 220ms and FAF can be set at 500, 1000, 1500 or 2000 Hz shifts up or down. An internal volume control can also be programmed, and the 16 frequency channels are adjustable to produce the best signal. With this flexibility, SpeechEasy® can be programmed to match the needs of most individuals who stutter.
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Question: What is the advantage of
having a SpeechEasy® which
is upgradeable?
Answer: While all present SpeechEasy® models
are up-to-date and effective, the devices will continue
to be upgraded
as technology improves. In an effort to foresee upcoming
technological changes, the Advanced model was designed
and created on a digital platform which allows for upgrading
the device by simply updating its software. Customers who
purchase the SpeechEasy® Advanced model will be offered
these upgrades as they become available (an additional
fee may be charged for this service at that time).
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Question: Do I need to wear a SpeechEasy® device
in both ears?
Answer: 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 SpeechEasy® 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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Question: How do I know SpeechEasy® will
fit my ear?
Answer: The CIC and ITC SpeechEasy® devices are custom fit to an individual’s ear canal. The BTE requires a custom fit ear mold. The iSpeak fits in the ear via a generic ear bud. An audiologist or licensed hearing instrument practitioner takes an ear mold impression for the custom devices.
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Question: How effective is SpeechEasy®?
Answer: SpeechEasy® has
now been tested on over 2200 people who stutter. Results
from these early field studies show
that approximately 85% to 90% of those who have tried the
device have improved their fluency level. Of those 2200
clients currently using the device, levels of fluency enhancement
have varied from about 50% improvement up to 95% improvement.
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Question: Do males and females respond
differently?
Answer: No
differences have been observed in the effectiveness of
SpeechEasy® across genders.
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Question: Will I become fluent immediately?
Answer: Some people
are especially susceptible to the effects of AAF and seem
to become fluent almost immediately upon
inserting the SpeechEasy® device. However, some
people require minimal training to derive the best benefits.
During the assessment, the Speech-Language Pathologist
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, use it for a few
days, and employ the easy strategies taught by the provider,
they achieve their highest fluency levels.
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Question: Will SpeechEasy® cure stuttering?
Answer: SpeechEasy® is NOT a cure for stuttering. Wearing
SpeechEasy® can be compared 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 SpeechEasy®. However, no data exists to
support this notion, and it is recommended that users of
SpeechEasy® wear the device as often as possible
to get the best effects.
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Question: How do I get a SpeechEasy® device?
Answer: The
first step is to contact Island Hearing at 1-888-563-0788.
An Island Hearing representative
will make an appointment for you with a certified Speech-Language
Pathologist trained in SpeechEasy fittings at one of
our SpeechEasy clinics most convenient to you.
