SpeechEasy is a compact anti-stuttering device, developed by three professors at East Carolina University – a growing research center – that utilizes altered auditory feedback in order to emulate the ‘choral effect’ and increase fluency. Because verbal fluency is so critical in daily life, use of SpeechEasy has repeatedly offered not only an increase in fluency in the lives of people who stutter, but in many cases has been a dramatic, life-changing element in those lives.
Despite the success of SpeechEasy, we know that skepticism remains. The ultimate criterion for any medical device is its effectiveness, and we understand the professional need for proof of efficacy for the SpeechEasy. After more than six years of offering SpeechEasy, having provided more than 6000 clients with the device and with a more than 80% satisfaction rate, our confidence in the effectiveness of SpeechEasy is unwavering. Based on very positive customer satisfaction surveys and ongoing research, including an independent clinical trial currently being conducted at Auburn University, the efficacy of SpeechEasy continues to be well-documented, and we welcome and encourage further research within the community of medical professionals.
Speech Language Pathologists who are not themselves providing SpeechEasy may question the wisdom of referring a client to a SpeechEasy provider. It is important to note that SpeechEasy should be viewed as a further tool to aid fluency, not a cure nor a replacement for existing therapy. The effects of the device can, in fact, be enhanced and maximized by its use in conjunction with any existing therapy. It is encouraged that clients continue to work with their existing SLP even after receiving SpeechEasy, and that the SLP be educated as much as possible about how to work with a client who now uses the device. To this end, we offer an online certification course to train follow-up SpeechEasy providers; this short course gives a solid ground of knowledge to an SLP, enabling him or her to understand the SpeechEasy better and interact in a more helpful way with SpeechEasy-wearing clients.
