Calling All Non-Dispensing SLPs: We Need Your Help If you are a SLP who is a non-dispensing SLP, and have identified a client who may be a potential candidate for SpeechEasy, or have accepted a client from a SpeechEasy-dispensing SLP, your ongoing guidance, support, and motivation can be very important to a favorable outcome. The following bullet points may be helpful in assisting you with the process of determining when SpeechEasy is appropriate for your client, and how you can support SpeechEasy users in your clinical practice. SpeechEasy may not be the best approach for everyone. It is important for clients to understand this, and to know that SpeechEasy is generally recommended for clients who: Are able to hear and respond to altered auditory feedback. Have no medical complications that impact speech. Have already completed a recognized SLP treatment program. Have a basic understanding of the nature of stuttering. Have accepted the effects of their stuttering behavior. Have no significant psychological disorders or other barriers to learning that may complicate their ability to work with the device. Are appropriately motivated to learn about and adapt to using SpeechEasy properly. Have rational expectations of the results they may personally achieve with SpeechEasy. SpeechEasy results can vary. As a SLP, you are in the best position to manage the expectations of your clients who are either considering the device or have already been fitted. While some who are fitted experience immediate and dramatic improvements in fluency, others may not. The potential for SpeechEasy to help the majority of those who stutter is reflected in the results of prescreening and fitting thousands of devices on people who stutter, of all ages, over the last few years. Your discussions with potential and existing SpeechEasy clients will be most effective when they are optimistic, yet realistic. Speech therapy is a prerequisite for optimal SpeechEasy results. SpeechEasy recommends that all clients complete a recognized speech-language pathology treatment program prior to evaluation for a SpeechEasy device. Many SpeechEasy users report that the device enables them to make more effective use of the techniques they learned during speech therapy as well as apply these techniques more successfully outside the clinical environment and during stressful situations. SpeechEasy is not a cure for stuttering, which has no known cure. Most new users will experience moderate to significant improvement over time, with maximum benefits occurring as they become familiar with and comfortable with the device. We have also found that follow-up therapy with a certified speech therapist can play a vital role in achieving the highest degree of fluency possible. As a certified speech pathologist you can provide therapeutic training, exercises and advice that can help your clients obtain the most comfort and benefit from their SpeechEasy device. Stuttering is a lifelong challenge. The most skillful SLPs address not only stuttering behavior, but also clients' long-held beliefs and attitudes about their stuttering, all of which may change over the course of a lifetime. You can help your clients understand that ongoing efforts and continued speech therapy may be required to maintain improvements in fluency. SpeechEasy is not a replacement for speech therapy. Practicing SLPs report that integrating SpeechEasy as an adjunct to more traditional therapies optimizes results for their clients. SpeechEasy users who experience only slight improvements in fluency or who have psychological disorders or learning barriers will require ongoing speech and supportive therapy for effective management of both symptoms and expectations. During the first three to six months after fitting, most SpeechEasy users require assistance with their practice of combining speech therapy techniques with their device. Some SpeechEasy users may experience dramatic initial improvements that may reduce over time. Given preliminary clinical evidence that SpeechEasy fluency gains are sustainable, this experience highlights the need for ongoing speech therapy. You can assist your clients in maintaining initial stuttering reductions by continuing their speech therapy and encouraging them to actively practice learned techniques. You, the SLP community, is the most knowledgeable source of support for SpeechEasy users. You can be instrumental in empowering your clients to attain their fluency goals by providing ongoing support, guidance, and motivation. SpeechEasy generally reduces the amount of therapy time required to master fluent speech, enabling SLPs to devote more time to issues that are tangential to fluency devices, including: Clarifying or re-evaluating speech goals. Transferring fluency skills to real-world situations outside of the clinical environment. Addressing speech anxiety and fear in situations the client perceives to be stressful. Counseling clients on psychological issues. An Important Note to SLPs About SpeechEasy's Satisfaction Guarantee: Some new SpeechEasy users you treat may still be within their 60-day trial period. Since the SpeechEasy purchase price includes a 60-day trial period, the client is afforded the opportunity to wear the device in true-to-life situations to determine its efficacy within his or her personal lifestyle. If for any reason the client is not satisfied, the custom-made SpeechEasy can be returned to the dispensing SLP for a 90% refund of the cost of the device. Your clients may turn to you to help them evaluate the fluency gains they are achieving with their SpeechEasy. If you feel your client is having great difficulty converting the techniques to conversation, or if he or she is having any difficulty with the device on any level, please contact the SpeechEasy provider prior to recommending that the device be returned. A simple adjustment of the device's settings may be all that is standing between your client from and enhanced fluency. << BACK TO NEWSLETTER