Browsing by Author "Husu, Liisa"

Aims and Objectives. Devices for treating stuttering have become more common in the last decades. One of these is an anti-stuttering device based on Altered Auditory Feedback (AAF). The auditory feedback of speech can be altered so that the speaker hears their voice either with a delay (DAF, Delayed Auditory Feedback) from a different frequence (FAF, Frequency Altered Feedback) or utilizing both of these settings simultaneously. The Hospital Districts of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) Foniatrics Unit launched an anti-stuttering device trial in 2008. The aim of this study is to provide information on that anti-stuttering device trial, the use of the device and the effects it has on speech. The aim is to discover the occasions when the device can be useful, on what occasions it cannot be used, and what kind of issues the use has caused. There is no former Finnish study on the use of anti-stuttering devices, but internationally the topic has been widely researched. Methods. The research method in this thesis was a survey sent by post. The survey was sent to patients who had participated in the anti-stuttering device trial, and it included two different forms, A and B. Form A was for patients who were still using the device and form B for those who had either returned the device or were not using it. The forms comprise of both open and closed questions. The responses to the open questions were analysed qualitatively by categorizing and sorting into themes, and then coding them to the same data along with the closed question responses. The quantitative analysis of the final data was made with an SPSS-program by calculating frequencies and relative frequencies and by cross-tabulating the dependencies between the variables. Results and conclusions. The results showed that the experiences of the trial participants varied greatly. A majority of the respondents had returned the device, yet almost half of all those who answered the survey had found the device useful. The most common finding was that the anti-stuttering device cannot be utilized in background noise. There had also been technical difficulties with the devices, concerning the settings and battery life. Those who answered form A, i.e. device-users, found it useful on singular occasions, e.g. while speaking on the phone or face to face with another person, or in all communication situations in general. Majority of the respondents had received positive feedback on their speech while using the anti-stuttering device. The most frequent feedback was that the speech of the stutterer was slower and clearer. All those who had received positive feedback would have recommended the anti-stuttering device to stutterers. Opinions on the use of the device are mixed, but based on individual positive experiences testing the device can be recommended when deciding on rehabilitation and therapy methods.