Impact of Speak Fluent Device on Speech of Persons with Stuttering

Abstract

Since decades, fluency has always been a major area of research in the field of speech and hearing. Till date, numerous causes have been put forward to explain the various types of dysfluencies which leads to stuttering. Also, based on these causes various techniques and devices have come into picture to enhance the fluency in the person with stuttering (PWS). On a similar research line, based on the cause of disturbance in auditory-motor processing, DAF (Delayed Auditory Feedback) device has been proposed which works on the principle where auditory feedback is being provided to PWS and that would determine whether the planned (and expected) speech output matches the actual product and generate corrective motor commands if a mismatch is detected (Max, Guenther, Gracco, Ghosh, & Wallace, 2004). The present study has been conducted with the main aim to see the effectiveness of SpeakFluent device having delayed auditory feedback and live visual feedback on PWS. Further, it also aimed to see the speech naturalness and comfort level of the individuals using the device. A total of twenty PWS participated in the study and were categorized into two groups. These two groups were subjected to two different conditions of fluency shaping therapy i.e., using SpeakFluent device and without using the device. The number of dysfluencies and rate of speech obtained were subjected to statistical analyses. The overall results revealed that Speakfluent device has a major impact on PWS in reducing the disfluencies and enhancing the correct rate of speech.