17
16
Function
The SERVOX
®
digital speech aid is battery operated. When Button A or B
is pressed, a magnetic coil with a plunger starts to vibrate and beats
against the hard membrane of the screw cap. The resulting vibrations
pass through the tissue of your neck or the soft tissue under your chin,
and into your mouth. The air in your mouth starts vibrating in turn, and in
this way a whisper can be turned into voiced speech.
When you first receive your new speech aid, it
is important to find a suitable place to hold it
against.
To achieve the best possible sound quality,
there are three different areas of placement:
IIII on the side of the neck
IIII under the chin
IIII on the cheek
To find the best spot for you, first practise in
front of the mirror, or with a relative or thera-
pist who can help you handle the device and
correct you if necessary.
Try out your speech aid on each of the areas
mentioned above until you find your ‘best
spot’; the spot which allows the tone to come
through the best.
Position the speech aid so that the tone sounds clean and no unwanted
distortion (buzzing) is heard. Whilst doing this, open the mouth slightly or
say a prolongued vowel, for example a long “Aaaaaaa” sound.
You can experiment holding the speech aid with varying pressure against
the skin.
Take note that creases or wrinkles in the skin, scars, facial hair and also
larynx protection bibs affect the quality of the tone.
Once you have found a good position, repeat finding that place until
you can find it again confidently. Use your non-dominant hand to hold
the speech aid, otherwise you will find yourself constantly swapping
over to shake hands or write.
If the vowels you are pronouncing are clear, you can move onto words.
When practising words and phrases, don’t move your SERVOX
®
digital
away from its position, for example whilst turning your head or moving
your jaw. Make a concerted effort to maintain contact with the skin, as a
loss of contact will affect the quality of the tone produced and therefore
have a negative effect on your clarity.
Ensure when beginning and ending speech that you start and stop the
tone in correct synchronisation through use of the buttons.
Don’t speak too quickly at first, take pauses where it makes sense, so
that your speech sounds as natural as possible.
Placement
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