Fluency Master

[happy7117]

I am looking for opinions on this..from anyone who's
used it, did not like it...

I need enough info and opnions to show this to
my vocational rehab counseler so I can get funding
for the FM....

I need to know what it sounds like to people,
wheather it helped or not, success rate.

ANYTHING!!!! The speecheasy most likely
will not do it for me-- because i already have dr
martin schwartz fluency enhancer aid which is daf-faf- and I cannot speak along with the delay-- it is too short, and i hear it too soon...

So Fluency master is by best alternative...

I need strong support-- I can print out opinions,
and I will send them to my vocatinal rehab counseler---i need funding to buy the FM which i dont have the money for....

With enough encouragement on this board- i know
it can be attainable--

If anyone can describe what the FM is like--
the owner -dr felixbroad says it amplifies
vocal tone- but i guess i have never experienced
that-- i dont know how to experience it if i don't have an Fluency master!!! Anyway I can
emulate it on my own-- or software on the net
that can amplify one's vocal tone???

I have not read a lotta posts on here regaurding the FM--but there must be feedback on what it's like!!!

Thank you so much to anyone who can help-- and thank god there are forums like this....!!!!

With enough support-- vocational rehab will
provide funding..!!

[Muldar43]

If you have a fluency enhancer contact me, I was a stutterer since the 4th grade and now fluent. These "stutter devices" are ONLY a short term fix, you need to get back into the Fluency Enhancer program, I can help ya out. The fluency Enhancer only slowly reconditions you to speak slower and you have to apply the techniques after that, Funny though I got my fluency enhancer funded by the state too, and I almost went with the Fluency Master instead. The problem with it, is like the Fluency enhancer you get all the feedback from ANY background noise. The Fluency Master and Fluency Enhancer a pretty much the same devices......

Overcoming stuttering fully is at least year long process, at least for me it was. You have to learn and PRACTICE speaking fluently in the specific situations that you stuttered the most. Like mine was ordering a "Turkey Sandwhich" at a restaruant or asking for "Ketchup" you have to take very carefully planned desensitizing steps or you will get frustrated and give up......

[Perad]

I think the product is bull shit.

Simply because of...

Stuttering is an enormously embarrassing..

I disagree, read topic in forum.

Research has shown that the speech muscles of stutterers do not perform the correct sequence of movements necessary to produce fluent speech. The Fluency Master reduces stuttering by modifying physical factors that affect speech, giving the brain the ability to more effectively control the movement of speech muscles.

Please forgive the next to words. ING BULLSHIT. I have a stammer and it varies on the person i am talking to. When i am alone, i speak completely fluently. I can speak fluently for hours on end. So please explain how my speech muscles do not work correctly.

*rant over*
____________________

It does of course work, just not how it says it does.

The product is simply a distraction, its like what singers have, amazingly, many singers cannot sing in tune when they are on stage. So they get a ear piece that lets them hear what they are singing, this lets them adjust there voice to stay in tune.

This is simply a glorified version of that, you constantly have your own voice in your ear and you become less aware of your surroundings. Your stammer is all in your head, thats why you are worse when speaking to strangers.

The voice in your ear simply switches your thoughts from, ("what if i stammer." "crap tough word coming up.") to ("does my voice really sound like that!?, wow this is really irritating.")

thus you stammer less, you also gain confidence because you are stammering less. Ofcourse when you take it off, you are on a placibo, your confidence keeps you going. But with your first knock the voices return. "What if i stammer." "crap tough word coming up."

I hope this helps you.

[Muldar43]

So PERAD are you working to overcome you stuttering now with anything? It sounds like you had the Fluency Master, did you?

[Perad]

No i don't have the fluency master and i have no intention to get it.

I might be wrong about how it works but i am pretty sure you would agree that what i have written does seem pretty logical.

I personally do not see these devices as a miracle cure and spending hundreds and/or thousands on a product for what is essentially a short term fix doesn't seem right to me. Especially as i don't have much money.

Right now i am just living with my stammer to be honest, it doesn't really bother me, i just accept it, i have it and people who are interested in what i have to say will listen.

Ofcourse recently I have been thinking about doing something to improve my speech and will be embarking on making it better over christmas once i have a bit more spare time.

I won't be buying any books or investing in physical devices. I have been on several speech course's, so i will be working to reimplement what i learnt on them. Mainly cosmetics, i.e. instead of blocking i will work on my breathing.

I find my stammer is difficult, its very up and down. When its down i need to work on my speech to make it better. Yet when its up i stop working on it because i am pretty fluent, its hard to practice when you don't say a word wrong. I develop a new coping method as one starts to fail. My current method of repeating words, i.e. taking a run up. This isn't working and is probably the main reason why my speech has actually got worse. Habits are hard to break though.

I will be working to identify the stammer as it happens, then instead of blocking, i will take a breath then saying the word as i am breathing out.

- its important to realise when you are stammering before you use a coping mechanism, like filler words, "er, ah etc" and run-ups, I ran on the h-h -- on the h-h-h -- the hill. -

Also there is something about soft starts. So instead of "The", which is basically a split second "hard" word.(capital is used to mean hard, hard meaning it sounds forceful, like an impact if you get me) It becomes "tthhe". You focus on making the start of the word a lot softer, the idea being that its harder to block words with soft sounds. (Thats why vowels can be a pain to say) This goes hand in hand with the breathing and really can work wonders.

The hardest part ofcourse is doing it, to get better its all about kicking bad habits. Taking out the "err" and "ah". Can you believe today i answered the phone today with "er emm yeah h-h-hello". Also i really have to kill this repeating words thing.

I believe that everyone can make there stammer better on there own with a bit of guidence and a lot of implementation. I would prefer to improve my speech with the methods i have said above, simply because i know that they will help me. They won't cure my stammer, but they will get me out of bad situations. And its knowing that i will steadily improve and remain myself which i like. The idea of a hearing aid for the rest of my life just isn't me.

This is how i will improve

Using the phone example.

Current- "Er emm yeah H-H-hello"

After lots of practice - "hheeello"

(I will probably still stammer but the stammer will be short and i won't be saying a load of junk)

Its the practice which i find difficult, putting time ahead to the side when i am juggling everything life throws at me.

What i will be doing from now though is practicing with my gf.

In the UK, we get free healthcare and your stammer is identified. I was shipped off to the Michael Palin Centre and it was all paid for. There i learnt everything i need.

Its just the constant practice and trying not to fall into the bad habits which makes my life difficult.

[Muldar43]

The device I used (fluency enhancer) was such a small part of the program and I know it's basically like all the others. You're right it is difficult to take the time to be discplined enhough to practice and recondition yourself fluent in old situations that one has had a hard time in. I have been working everyday consisently for last 6 months with some off and on the first 6 months. I have great control and I'm about 99% in all situations - but it took work, and I had to really face my stuttering with all my friends and family to reduce the "hidden" tension of the topic. Good luck.

[Perad]

The device I used (fluency enhancer) was such a small part of the program and I know it's basically like all the others. You're right it is difficult to take the time to be discplined enhough to practice and recondition yourself fluent in old situations that one has had a hard time in. I have been working everyday consisently for last 6 months with some off and on the first 6 months. I have great control and I'm about 99% in all situations - but it took work, and I had to really face my stuttering with all my friends and family to reduce the "hidden" tension of the topic. Good luck.

I'm curious about this book and program

What is this fluency enhancer? Is this a machine? And what does it do?

And this program? Was it like a course? A book what?

[Muldar43]

go to www.stuttering.com, The Fluency enhancer is a simple DAF device and the program that goes along with it requires intensive practice, lowering of tensions, and systematic steps to condition your fluent speech into real world situations. I became fluent in low stress situation without the device in about 4 months, then the high stress situations, words, and people is where you have to put your work in. I would suggest reading the book "You can Stop Stuttering" by Dr. Schwartz and stutterer who became fluent Grady Carter. You can probably pick it up at your local library or I bought mine from amazon.com for $1.00. There is a Fluency enhancer chat group linked to the website above. Go to group and post a request and I could speak with you and let you hear how I sound using technique.