TELEPRACTICE AND THE BIOFEEDBACK METHODOLOGY IN ASSISTANCE TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO STUTTERS

A Case Study

Abstract

Telepractice is widely used in the medical practice in developed countries for the provision of healthcare services in general (Balas et al., 1997) and in particular for the provision of consultations, diagnostics and therapy of individuals with speech-language pathology (Mashima & Doarn, 2008; Theodoros, 2008). The objective of the research, presented in the current article, is to examine the possible implementation of a distance Biofeedback training in the course of providing therapy to an individual who stutters via an ‘iFeel Bluetooth HRV’ sensor for home use under a therapist’s supervision. A case study of an individual who stutters is described. The therapy includes specialized Biofeedback equipment (Vezenkov, 2010; 2011) and Preparatory set technique which is used for the modification of stuttering at the moment of its occurrence (Ward, 2006). The therapy includes 6 phases: diagnostics, supervision, Biofeedback training, breathing training with the inclusion of speech tasks, transfer of the new skills into a speech environment and subsequent diagnostics. The initial findings show a 30% decrease of the stuttering frequency immediately after the therapy, thus the stuttering severity was decreased from severe to mild. The severity of the average duration of the three longest spasms and the accompanying movements is also reported to have improved by 40 percent. These preliminary findings suggest that the application of the Biofeedback approach in speech therapy has the potential to ensure the successful provision of Telepractice therapy to clients with stuttering.