Investigations of the impact of altered auditory feedback in-the-ear devices on the speech of people who stutter: one-year follow-up

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined objective and subjective measures of the effect of a self-contained ear-level device delivering altered auditory feedback (AAF) for those who stutter 12 months following initial fitting with and without the device.

Method: Nine individuals with developmental stuttering participated. In Experiment 1, the proportion of stuttering was examined during reading and monologue. A self-report inventory inquiring about behaviour related to struggle, avoidance and expectancy associated with stuttering was examined in Experiment 2. In Experiment 3, naïve listeners rated the speech naturalness of speech produced by the participants during reading and monologue.

Results: The proportions of stuttering events were significantly ( p < 0.05) reduced at initial fitting and remained so 12 months post follow-up. After using the device for 12 months, self-reported perception of struggle, avoidance and expectancy were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced relative to pre-fitting. Naïve listeners rated the speech samples produced by those who stutter while wearing the device significantly more natural sounding than those produced without the device for both reading and monologue (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: These findings support the notion that a device delivering AAF is a viable therapeutic alternative in the treatment of stuttering.