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Worn in the ear, the prosthetic device echoes the speaker's own words at a slight delay and different pitch. Other small devices either echo words at a delay or change the pitch, but only SpeechEasy does both and fits inside the ear.
The delayed echo causes what is known as the choral effect. Research has shown that when people who stutter sing or speak in unison with others, they become more fluent. The manufacturer says one-third of the people who try the SpeechEasy are helped significantly, and another third are helped somewhat. However, the $4,500 cost keeps many people from trying the device. But we all know that the cost will dramatically decrease with time. Isn't technology amazing?
USA Today October 19, 2004