Second of two parts
New Device Gives Hope to Stutterers
By John M. Williams
Embarrassed by his stuttering, Sir Isaac Newton
(1643-1727) demanded that the windows of Parliament be closed so the public
would not hear him stutter.
In more modern times, Aneurin Bevan, a British Labor Party
leader in the 1930s and an opponent of Winston Churchill in Parliament, was
considered one of the greatest orators in Parliament. Bevan made public
speeches as often as possible to help overcome his stuttering. He also
developed a remarkable vocabulary by substituting words to avoid stuttering.
Lots of people think that they have stuttered from time to
time, but stuttering is much more complex than occasionally repeating or
stumbling over words. Stuttering does not mean that the person is excited or
cannot think of the word they want to say. It is an involuntary behavior;
people who stutter cannot help it. When asked once why he stuttered, Churchill
replied, “I don’t know why I stammer.” (Stammering and
stuttering are synonymous.)
The cause of stuttering is still unknown. In the past,
people believed that stuttering was caused by nervousness, bad parenting,
genetics, inability to coordinate the speech muscles, psychological problems or
talking too fast. Current evidence tells us that stuttering has a large genetic
component. This inherited genetic factor may cause speech pathways in the brain
to be less efficient. The inefficiency of the pathways makes it difficult for
children to meet fluency demands by getting their words out quickly. Genetics
may also have an adverse effect on children's temperament, causing them to
react negatively to their own early stuttering behavior. Combined, these
elements may increase the likelihood that some children will stutter.
The tendency of children to persist with or recover from
their stuttering may also be genetically determined. Some outgrow stuttering on
their own, possibly because their brains reorganize the speech pathways or
because they eliminate their negative reactions to their behavior. But some
children may continue to stutter into adulthood, possibly because they maintain
inefficient brain pathways and a reactive temperament. Boys may be genetically
preprogrammed to persist in their stuttering more than girls.
Dealing with stuttering can be traumatic because there
aren’t quick and easy solutions, and it has no cure. It takes lots of hard
work and practice to control the involuntary stuttering behaviors. Some
stuttering remedies focus on having the person speak in a novel manner; for
example, talking in time to rhythmic movements of an arm or speaking in a
monotone. These offer only temporary solutions. The novel mannerisms can become
habituated, and then they no longer help people control their stuttering.
Slowing the rate of speech, relaxation techniques, and learning to smooth out
the involuntary stuttering behaviors are some things that can help them
overcome stuttering.
Speech language pathologists tell people going through
therapy that they should not conceal their stuttering, should not substitute
words for the ones they are trying to say, and should speak slowly. Many
pathologists say that It is vitally important that a child who stutters does
not come to believe that stuttering is a reason to withdraw from interacting
with other people and that parents and teachers should help prevent negative
emotions from becoming part of a child's stuttering experience. This means that
even if the child does not speak fluently he or she can at least speak freely.
Ben Kordsmeier has a cousin who stutters. Dane Stephens
and Austin White say they do not have any relatives who stutter. The three boys
stutter but do not have friends who do so. None of the three boys believes he
is intellectually deficient. In fact, there is no evidence of differences
intellectually or emotionally between children who stutter and those who do
not.
All the boys use SpeechEasy, a portable and inconspicuous
fluency-enhancing prosthetic device that fits in or behind the ear. SpeechEasy
users receive therapy, part of which includes being trained on the device. Each
of the three boys receives speech therapy anywhere from once to twice monthly.
Part of their SpeechEasy training is learning to use the product so that they
pay attention to the auditory feedback. Most users learn that after a few days
of actively reminding themselves to listen to the device, the process becomes
automatic.
“It wasn’t long after I started using the
SpeechEasy that I would remember to concentrate on what I was saying," White
said. "Once I started doing that, my speech started being fluent.” He has
been using the SpeechEasy for two years and said he feels comfortable using it.
Part of the continuing therapy associated with the
SpeechEasy is stretching vowel sounds to achieve the voice inhibition through
difficult sounds. As the boys approach a sound they know is difficult they
stretch out the vowel sounds on a few words prior to pronouncing the difficult
sound. They apply this technique by stretching the vowel sound on small words
throughout their reading or during a conversation.
“By stretching vowel sounds, I have more
fluency,” Stephens saud.
When either putting the SpeechEasy into their ear or
behind it, the boys do warm-up exercises for about a minute to become
accustomed to listening to the device. They may count from 0 to 10, recite the
months of the year or say something. They also practice the “uh”
method. When they do, they read out loud, and when they stop to take a breath,
they resume reading by saying “uh.” This exercise contributes to an
improvement in their conversational speech.
The SpeechEasy has to be specially fitted to each user.
There are three types: One fits completely in the ear canal, another fits into
the canal and the outer ear, and a third type fits behind the ear. The device,
which is easily inserted and removed, comes with a battery, microphone, volume
control and vent. It should be cleaned daily.
The boys wear the SpeechEasy almost all the time when in
school and pursuing social activities. They do not wear it when showering,
playing, swimming or in places, such as restaurants, where there is a lot of
noise. They love the benefits it brings them. When the boys are nor wearing the
SpeechEasy, they say the carry-over effect ranges from 90 minutes to two hours,
especially after they have worn it all day.
White echoed the sentiments of the other two boys when he
said, “The SpeechEasy improved my whole life for the better.”
The boys say that, as a result of the device, they are
accepted as being normal among their peers. Being accepted by their peers is an
important aspect of growing up.
John M. Williams has stuttered for 56 years and has
written many articles on stuttering. He can be reached at
jmmaw@verizon.net.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
National Stuttering Association
http://www.nsastutter.org/
Stuttering Home Page Chat Room
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/chat/chatroom.html
University of Wisconsin Family Village Stuttering Page
http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/lib_stut.htm
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