SpeechEasy® Physician Introduction

A medical device that helps people who stutter conquer their affliction is available in Canada.

The SpeechEasy® device resembles a hearing aid and inhibits stuttering by providing altered auditory feedback. Through the use of Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) and Frequency Altered Feedback (FAF), SpeechEasy® effectively creates the illusion of speaking in unison with someone. While true ‘choral speech’ improves fluency in almost 90% of people who stutter, early field studies show that 80% to 90% of people who stutter improve their fluency by between 50% and 95% while wearing SpeechEasy®.

SpeechEasy® was developed by a team of researchers at East Carolina University (ECU), in Greenville, North Carolina. Some of the initial studies were conducted at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, before the SpeechEasy® research team relocated to ECU. Faculty members Dr. Joe Kalinowski, a severe stutterer himself, Dr. Michael Rastatter, and Canadian Dr. Andrew Stuart have spent the past 10 years studying the effects of Altered Auditory Feedback on people who stutter.

Benefits of Using Altered Auditory Feedback (AAF)

The most noticeable benefit is the remarkable reduction or elimination of stuttering in a short period of time. Once the individualized programming settings are determined, usually within a one-to-two hour consultation with a trained speech-language pathologist, the fluency effects may be almost immediate. Other benefits include improved levels of confidence when using the device, as well as cosmetic appeal. The device has no cumbersome equipment, and is virtually unnoticeable when worn in the ear canal.

SpeechEasy® is not a cure for stuttering, but rather a technically-sophisticated prosthetic device that is effective when it is being used – like hearing aids or glasses. It can be worn in or behind the ear.

Available in Canada for four years, and licensed by Health Canada as a Class 2 medical device, SpeechEasy is successfully being used by almost 300 Canadians Who Stutter.  Clinics are now available across Canada to provide the professional Speech Pathology and Hearing Health Care services needed to ensure the best possible treatment for People Who Stutter interested in SpeechEasy.

Update

For an update on SpeechEasy in canada please check out the article "SpeechEasy – Early Canadian Outcomes Data".

Questions and Answers

For more information on SpeechEasy® please check out our FAQ or call toll free 1-888-563-0788.