A COMPUTER-AIDED SPEECH FLUENCY ESTABLISHMENT TRAINER

THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPED, AND HAS EMPLOYED IN PRIVATE PRACTICE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, A MICROCOMPUTER-AIDED STUTTERING THERAPY PROGRAM USING AN APPLE IIE, SOFTWARE, AND HARDWARE CONFIGURATION, WHICH HAS DEMONSTRATED HIGH EFFECTIVENESS AS WELL AS HIGH EFFICIENCY IN PRODUCING FLUENT, NORMAL SOUNDING SPEECH IN ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS WHO STUTTER. THE PROGRAM IS EASILY ADMINISTERED PHASE I FUNDING WILL BE USED TO PERFORM VALIDATION AND NORMATIVE STUDIES WITH THE PRESENT SYSTEM, COMPLETE SOFTWARE ENHANCEMENTS, PREPARE A COMPLETE APPLICATION MANUAL FOR THE USER-CLINICIAN, AND PREPARE SPECIFICATIONS AND SELECT A DEVELOPER/MANUFACTURER FOR ADAPTING THE TECHNOLOGY NOW IN USE FOR COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION. FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF PHASE I, THE NEW ELECTRONIC COMPONENT MUST BE DEVELOPED, TESTED, AND PUT INTO SERIAL PRODUCTION FOR MARKETING. THE EXPECTED COMMERCIAL MARKET INCLUDES SCHOOLS (WHO IN GENERAL ARE ALREADY EQUIPPED WITH MICROCOMPUTERS), UNIVERSITY SPEECH AND HEARING CLINICS, PRIVATE PRACTICES, AND PUBLIC HEALTH CLINICS. THE PRODUCT WILL BE MARKETABLE BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD, SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE EQUALLY EFFECTIVE IN ENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES. THE TECHNOLOGY ALSO HAS WIDESPREAD APPLICABILITY WITH VOICE AND RESPIRATORY DISORDERS, WIDENING THE POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL MARKET.