 |
Maximizing Fluency: Advice from Mike Cano ... A SpeechEasy User
I first found out about the device from an Oprah Winfrey segment about 2+ years ago. My wife happened to be watching and called me into the room. From what I saw on the show the device seemed to really help the people that were interviewed. I did take interest in the SpeechEasy, but I felt that since I was in my late 30's and have stuttered since childhood that stuttering is just a part of me and I will just have to live with it. I'm proud of my accomplishments of completing college with an education degree and being able to teach special needs adolescents who are emotionally disturbed. Being a school teacher that stutters is not easy, but I've continued to work hard and not let stuttering keep me from succeeding with my job.
For about a year and a half from the segment, my wife continued to encourage me to give the device a try. It also seemed that my stuttering was increasing and I was having more difficulty with IEPs, phone calls and general conversations with family, friends, students and coworkers. I also found myself coming home from work exhausted and discouraged because of speaking so horribly during my work day.
Because of my wife's persistence in really wanting me to give the device a try, I decided to visit Ron Bender in Wichita Falls, Texas. Since I am off during the summer, that was the best time to try out the device. The evaluation with Ron went very well. There was an instant difference in my speech when the device was inserted into my ear. I would have been crazy to pass up this device, so I decided to purchase one.
I've had the device for about 7 months. It has made a remarkable difference in my life! With the device I am 80 to 100% fluent. When I am in a difficult speaking situation the device pulls me through and I can now communicate without difficulty. I continue to learn something new everyday about how to use the device to increase my fluency.
Here a few things that I've learned about using the Speecheasy:
- Wear it all the time. The more that it is worn the easier it becomes to tune out background noise and get used to the overall feeling of the device.
- Use the practice techniques in the manual. Practice, practice, practice
- Focus/pay attention to the choral effect. When I take my focus off of the echo, my fluency decreases. The echo is the key to fluency.
- I like to keep the volume turned up so that I can hear the signal clearly. I have the ITC model and having the external volume control is very handy for me. At school it can be very loud (passing periods, lunch, announcements). Sometimes I will turn the volume down all the way until I have to speak, then I turn it up.
- Be patient with yourself when mistakes are made. I try to think about what happened during an episode of disfluency and work to correct it. I have a lot of old habits to break and it is getting easier.
- About 9 years ago I went to the Hollins Institute in Roanoke Virginia for their intensive 3 week fluency course. I learned a lot of great target techniques that worked great in a controlled setting, but after time I found it very hard to apply the target techniques in other settings. With the SpeechEasy I've found it much easier to apply easy onset/amplitude contour and stretched syllable techniques. In fact, the techniques that I have learned have made the device much easier to use. I am very thankful for attending the Hollins Institute.
My experiences with the device have been nothing but positive!! I'm able to have simple day to day conversations with coworkers, family and friends. I'm able to lead experiential education groups with other classrooms and lead students on our low ropes challenge course without any problems. I'm able to speak during staff meetings knowing that the device will pull me through even the toughest situations. It still requires a good amount of work, but everyday my speech improves.
Mike Cano
|
|
|