Agenda
‣ Introduction to iCanSpeak iCanSpeak ‣ iCanSpeak from a Speech Language Pathologists’ perspective Everything is impossible, until it is not ‣ iCanSpeak from the perspective of someone who stutters
Kiwanis Club of Ottawa ‣ Directions forward 2020-01-24 ‣ Questions
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
1 2
Introductions Stuttering / Stammering
‣ The team ‣ Repeated words or syllables
‣ Jacquee Blum Glance ‣ Prolongation of words or syllables
‣ Andrew Johnson ‣ Blockage of words or syllables
‣ Secondary mannerisms
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
3 4
Stuttering / Stammering Stuttering / Stammering
‣ https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/stuttering ‣ No known cause, no ‘cure’
‣ 5 percent of all children will stutter for some period in their life, ‣ Many, many false solutions lasting from a few weeks to permanently. ‣ Almost no funding for medical research ‣ Boys are 2 to 3 times as likely to stutter as girls
‣ The number of boys who continue to stutter is three to four times larger than the number of girls.
‣ Most children outgrow stuttering, 1% of adults stutter www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
5 6 My Son - Andrew The iCanSpeak Idea ‣ People who stutter don’t stutter when: ‣ First investigation at the age of 5 ‣ They sing, shout, whisper, swear, or choral speak ‣ Vocabulary of a 10 year old, be patient (80% stop on their own) ‣ The initial idea: ‣ Speech therapy starting at 7 with Jacquee Blum Glance ‣ Create technology to simulate choral speaking in real time ‣ Summer program with U of Toronto at 13 ‣ Altered Audio Feedback (AAF) echos the speaker’s voice with delay and pitch ‣ Continues with therapy and is disfluent in English and French to simulate another speaker
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
7 8
Initial Project Sample Participant Video
‣ 2005 Funding from the Kiwanis Medical Foundation for study of Altered Audio Feedback
‣ iCanSpeak written on a Compaq iPaq for AAF and tested
‣ Thanks to Derek Finley for his technical help!
‣ Standard fluency test applied to multiple participants
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
9 10
Sample Participant Video “I know the answers, but I am so scared of what the class might think”
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
11 12 Lessons Learned 2006 Hibernation
‣ The software worked! ‣ Wait for the hardware to catch up
‣ The hardware let us down ‣ 2007 iPhone released, 2009 software development kits
‣ Battery life was only 30 minutes in real life ‣ 2010 Write custom version for Andrew
‣ Background noise was a barrier ‣ Wait for someone else to come out with an app
‣ Resistance to technology from many Speech Language Pathologists ‣ No one did
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
13 14
iCanSpeak v2.0 Lessons Applied in v2.0
‣ 2013 Apple releases CareKit ‣ The software still works
‣ Start a new version of iCanSpeak ‣ The hardware has caught up
‣ 2017 Funding from Danbe Foundation and Kiwanis Medical ‣ Battery life is now 8 hours Foundation, Kathleen Faloon Johnson ‣ Background noise addressed with noise cancelling headphones (late 2019) ‣ 2019 Tool available for research ‣ Interest from Speech Language Pathologists, smart phones are no longer scary www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
15 16
2020 Version iCanSpeak From An SLP’s Perspective
‣ The software runs on any iPhone or iPod Touch ‣ Introduction to Jacquee
‣ Live module provides real time altered audio feedback - free ‣ SLP to Andrew and many others
‣ Techniques module provides daily fluency exercises - free ‣ Ottawa Board of Education and private practice
‣ iPad SLP module allows an SLP to remotely assign and monitor ‣ Most clients are children and youths participant exercises - Not currently public
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
17 18 Who are SLPs Andrew’s Disfluency
‣ University grads in Master’s Program in Communication Disorders ‣ Never worked with any stutterer as severe as Andrew
‣ Regulated Health Professionals by the College of Audiologists and ‣ Parents had to pursue private therapy as little therapy is available in Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario the school system
‣ Mostly private practice ‣ He had a strong peer group and did not feel bullied or ostracized due to the amazing support of family and friend ‣ Speech disorders, language disorders, cognitive-communication disorders, voice disorders, swallowing disorders, the diagnosis and ‣ He did not always share his thoughts, opinions because of the time treatment of autism spectrum disorder and extreme effort required www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
19 20
Andrew’s Disfluency Andrew and iCanSpeak
‣ Andrew knew every technique to achieve fluent speech but could ‣ Researched the Speech Easy device which was invented in the only achieve real fluency with choral reading and speaking United States but was large and unwieldy and very costly ($8k+)
‣ In 1999 summer intensive fluency program in Toronto with Dr. ‣ Impetus for iCanSpeak on a smart phone Robert Kroll, the only successful treatment program in Canada ‣ While many therapists oppose the use of technology, they do not ‣ For the first time, the Johnson’s heard Andrew speaking fluently walk in the shoes of a stutterer.
‣ Fluent speech can only be maintained for short periods of time ‣ Stuttering or dysfluency is one of the most debilitating communication disorders. www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
21 22
Therapy Resources in Ottawa The iCanSpeak Opportunity
‣ Preschoolers via First Words and CHEO ‣ Can you imagine the possibilities if everyone had access to the app and could speak fluently during presentations in class, answering ‣ When children enter school, they are discharged. Referred to questions, having conversations, asking someone out or speaking to CHEO School Health Rehabilitation Services (formerly CCAC/ an authority figure like a police officer or professor? LHIN) and the wait can be 12-18 months long ‣ The possibilities are endless ‣ Therapy is provided if the child meets the mandate, once every two weeks for a minimum of 30 minutes until techniques are learned ‣ Thanks to Danbe Foundation and the Kiwanis Medical Foundation for making this possible ‣ Maintenance therapy is not provided and the therapy is finite www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
23 24 iCanSpeak Impact for Stutters How Stuttering Impacted My Life
‣ Introduction to Andrew ‣ Naturally an outgoing and talkative person
‣ Part of the Kiwanis Family ‣ Determined to not allow stuttering to impact my life
‣ Cadets ‣ Invisible disability
‣ Bed Race ‣ Some personal interactions have been tough
‣ Transit Planner with the City of Hamilton ‣ Limited employment options growing up
‣ Forced to improve written communication to compensate www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
25 26
Speech Therapy’s Role In My Life How I Use iCanSpeak
‣ Fluency ‣ Primarily in ‘high stress’ situations
‣ Confidence ‣ Interviews
‣ “I wouldn’t be where I am today without it” ‣ Speaking to a room full of people
‣ Gives that extra fluency and confidence in my fluency
‣ Would recommend speech therapy and this app to anyone who stutters www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
27 28
Thx to Kiwanis and Danbe Directions Forward
‣ This will make a difference ‣ Wider studies
‣ uOttawa, Carleton, uToronto, Ottawa Hospital, CHEO
‣ Applications to Parkinson’s and Stroke patients
‣ Techniques in other languages
‣ Addition of AI and ML to help SLPs
www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
29 30 One Can Make a Difference Questions?
‣ 350,000 people in Canada stutter ‣ www.iCanSpeak.org for download or donations ‣ Danbe Foundation, Kiwanis Medical Foundation, Kathleen Faloon Johnson, RKIL ‣ Alan Stanley - Design Creative Honcho, Andrew Johnson - Content Connoisseur & Chief Guinea Pig, Eileen Hennemann - Design Content Helmer, Jacquee Blum Glance - Head of Technique Application, Jamie Johnson - Byte Arranger and Supreme Commander, Laura Johnson - Head of Production, Mark Czapalay - Software Wizard, Scott Johnson - Document Preparation Master, Theresa Johnson - Letter Rearranger www.iCanSpeak.org www.iCanSpeak.org
31 32
Thanks
‣ www.iCanSpeak.org for download or donations
www.iCanSpeak.org
33