Press Releases
Florida Children Eligible to Receive Free Speech Fluency Device
SpeechEasy Program Brings Life-Changing Technology to Kids Who Stutter
Greenville, North Carolina - February 2, 2006 - Florida children who stutter are eligible to receive a free state-of-the-art electronic speech fluency device and related therapy thanks to an annual program sponsored by SpeechEasy -- the nation's leading provider of portable devices that help people who stutter speak more fluently.
The device will be provided as part of SpeechEasy's Sean Anderson Memorial Scholarship Program, which was launched in 2004 to provide free devices and therapy to Florida children. The recipient of the 2006 Program will be selected based on eligibility criteria that include financial hardship and potential for life-changing benefits such as social and academic/career advancement.
The Program is named in memory of 10 year-old SpeechEasy user Sean Anderson of Ocoee, Florida. Sean received the SpeechEasy device nine months before his untimely death in February 2004. When he began using the device, Sean was able to speak fluently for the first time in his life. After his death, his parents helped launch what has become the annual scholarship program.
Program recipients receive SpeechEasy's top of the line fluency device which fits entirely within the ear canal. They also receive follow-up therapy by a certified speech language pathologist (SLP). The device and therapy have a combined value of $6,000.
"We are delighted to honor Sean's memory by helping Florida children experience the life-changing benefits that come from being able to speak fluently," said Darwin Richards, president of Janus Development Group -- SpeechEasy's parent company.
More information about the Sean Anderson Memorial Scholarship Program is available by calling (877) 4-FLUENCY. The application deadline for the 2006 scholarship is March 1, 2006. Applicants must be Florida residents between eight and 15 years of age.
About SpeechEasy
SpeechEasy is a portable fluency-enhancing device that helps people who stutter speak more fluently with less effort. Nearly 5,000 people who stutter have been fitted with a SpeechEasy device since it was first made available to the public in December 2001. Similar to a hearing aid, SpeechEasy is worn in or around the ear. But rather than amplify sound, it alters the way the user hears his own voice -- changing the pitch and delaying it slightly to trick the brain into hearing a second voice speaking in unison. Such "choral" speech can alleviate and even eliminate stuttering. SpeechEasy was developed by a team of communication disorder researchers at East Carolina University, and is marketed exclusively by Janus Development Group. SpeechEasy devices are available via a network of state licensed, ASHA (American Speech Language Hearing Association)-certified speech language pathologists. More information about SpeechEasy is available at www.speecheasy.com.
