Can A Speech Therapy App Reduce Stutters?

Speech disfluency in toddlers is quite common and natural. When young children learn to talk and begin expanding their vocabulary, they might face a few glitches that surface in the form of stuttering.

Most experts and parents don't consider stuttering in preschool-aged children to be of concern. And they are mostly correct. In almost 75% of the cases, stuttering in preschoolers vanishes within a couple of weeks without any intervention.

In case that the stuttering persists for longer than 4 to 6 weeks, parents should consider speech therapy for their child. Parents should think about speech therapy especially if they have a history of stuttering in the family.

Even if your child has been consistently exhibiting the signs of stuttering for many years and is now a teenager, speech therapy can still prove useful. 

But, Is Traditional Speech Therapy Accessible to All? 

The answer, unfortunately, is no. 

Millions of young children, teenagers, and even adults who stutter have little or no access to speech therapy. 

Traditional speech therapy is expensive. The cost of one speech therapy session can range anywhere from $30 - $150. You need to factor in travel expenses too. 

This brings us to the question - is it possible to use technology to directly offer speech therapy cost-effectively? 

Well, yes. 

Tele-speech therapy services, speech therapy mobile apps, and other tools such as DAF (Delayed Auditory Feedback) for stuttering treatment, are all results of technological innovation. 

Today, more people have access to speech therapy and/or self-therapy than ever. 

What Are the Most Popular Mobile Apps For Stuttering Treatment? 

Some of the most common apps used by kids and adults who stutter include - 

● Stamurai Cutting-Edge Speech Therapy

● Language & Cognitive Therapy for Children (MITA)

● Articulation Station Pro

● Fonate DAF

● Otsmio - Speech & Language Therapy, 

● Speech Blubs Language Therapy

Stamurai is currently the most comprehensive mobile app for people who stutter. It’s a speech therapy mobile app that maps the process of stuttering treatment through exercises, lesson plans, practice sessions, and an evaluation system. 

But, Can A Speech Therapy App Help Reduce Your Stutters? 

Traditional speech therapy through in-person visits to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) or self-therapy through a smartphone app can help make a difference in how a child comprehends and reacts to their stutters. 

As discussed earlier, traditional speech therapy can be costly irrespective of the age of the client. Thanks to the advent of technology, children and their parents can access verified speech therapy guides and tools while sitting at home.

This brings us to a critical question – can speech therapy apps help reduce stutters?

Let’s find out!

Guided Training Plans to Keep You on the Right Track 

The app comes with training plans that are customizable for each user. The users can customize the guide, tools, and exercises on the app according to the age of the client and the severity of their stuttering.

The app also uses AI and machine learning to adapt to the training patterns of the users. Much like traditional speech therapists, the apps can "understand" what the clients (users) need based on their interactions and offer suitable speech therapy lessons for stuttering treatment. 

Users Can Access Several Speech Therapy Techniques

It offers multiple, evidence-based speech therapy techniques for the users. These techniques come complete with instructional videos.

The detailed descriptions and guides make the new-age speech therapy apps ideal for users of all ages. Even if you have never used a speech therapy app before or never visited a speech therapist, you will find these apps easy-to-use and beneficial.

Apps Can Keep Track of Your Progress

Modern-day apps leverage AI to keep track of user's performance and progress. Keeping track of the clients’ progress remains a regular challenge for speech-language pathologists. 

However, speech therapy apps typically keep accurate records of how a user has improved ever since they started using the app.

You can get monthly or weekly reports based on the daily statistics. The engaging metrics can motivate a user and increase their engagement on the app. That can further reduce their chances of relapse.

Apps and Platforms Can Put You In Touch With Others Who Stutter

Whether you are using an app or a platform for yourself or your child, you may find opportunities to connect with other kids or adults who stutter. 

That is for instance offers moderated group video calls. Several other platforms dedicated to helping people who stutter also run community forums. Speaking to others who may be going through the same challenges can help you gain confidence, find new solutions, and explore new stuttering treatments.

Apps Can Ensure that You Practice Daily

Android and iOS apps send daily notifications, emails, and messages to the registered users. You can set reminders for using specific tools or practice exercises for particular days of the week.

While you may take to meet a speech therapist once in 2 weeks, these apps perform sure that you continue on track every day.

Falling off the wagon is very easy with traditional speech therapy. That is what contributes to the high relapse rate among people who stutter (PWS). These engaging apps and motivating exercises ensure that you or your toddler never lose interest in the regular practice of speech therapy exercises.

Final Words 

Speech therapy apps may not just reduce stuttering, but they can perfectly complement or even replace speech therapy for adults as well as children who stutter. 

Adults and teenagers who stutter can try it. Many apps are designed by speech therapists exclusively for toddlers. They are way more colorful, animated, and engaging than the apps for adults. These apps may help children learn and grow while boosting their confidence and reducing their disfluency. 

It is best to work with children who stutter on most of these apps, at least for the first few days, to ensure maximum engagement and daily practice.

You must remember that stuttering does not have a magic cure. Whether you are using the app alone or with traditional speech therapy, it can take between weeks to a couple of months for you to see a significant improvement.