System and method for enhancing remote speech fluency therapy via a social media platform

Abstract

A social networking platform for enhancing fluency training is presented. The platform includes a plurality of fluency practice devices; a plurality of therapist devices; and a server communicatively connected to the plurality of fluency practice devices and the plurality of therapist devices, wherein the server is configured to facilitate communications among the plurality of fluency practice devices and between the plurality of fluency practice devices and the plurality of therapist devices, wherein the server is further configured to share social networking feeds related to practicing speech fluency, wherein the social networking feeds are generated by at least each of the plurality of fluency practice devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A social networking platform for enhancing speech fluency training, comprising:
 a plurality of fluency practice devices;   a plurality of therapist devices; and   a server communicatively connected to the plurality of fluency practice devices and the plurality of therapist devices, wherein the server is configured to facilitate communications among the plurality of fluency practice devices and between the plurality of fluency practice devices and the plurality of therapist devices, wherein the server is further configured to share social networking feeds related to practicing speech fluency, wherein the social networking feeds are generated by at least each of the plurality of fluency practice devices.   
     
     
         2 . The social networking platform of claim of  1 , wherein each of the social networking feeds includes any of: a feedback generated respective of a fluency practice session, and motivational content. 
     
     
         3 . The social networking platform of  claim 2 , wherein the motivational content includes at least one of: an achievement respective of the feedback, and an automatic update of a user profile respective of the feedback. 
     
     
         4 . The social networking platform of  claim 2 , wherein the motivational content is generated by a therapist using a therapist device respective of a user using a fluency practice device, wherein the therapist and the user are part of the same social connection. 
     
     
         5 . The social networking platform of  claim 2 , wherein the motivational content is generated by a first user using a first fluency practice device and a second user using a second fluency practice device, wherein the first user and the second user are part of the same social connection. 
     
     
         6 . The social networking platform of  claim 5 , wherein each fluency practice device is configured to generate the feedback respective of the fluency practice session. 
     
     
         7 . The social networking platform of  claim 5 , wherein each fluency practice device is further configured to:
 receive voice productions captured during the fluency practice session, wherein the fluency practice session includes at least one fluency shaping exercise;   process at least one of the received voice productions to evaluate a correct execution of the at least one fluency shaping exercise; and   generate the feedback based on the evaluated execution of the at least one fluency shaping exercise.   
     
     
         8 . The social networking platform of  claim 7 , wherein the feedback is at least a visual feedback, wherein the motivational content includes the visual feedback. 
     
     
         9 . The social networking platform of  claim 7 , wherein each of the server, the plurality of fluency practice devices, and the plurality of therapist devices is further configured to:
 generate at least a reward respective of the correct execution of the at least one fluency shaping exercise; and   share the generated reward via at least one of the social networking feeds.   
     
     
         10 . The social networking platform of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one fluency shaping exercise allows practicing fluent speech at a standardized speech rate or at a regulated speech rate in spontaneous speech. 
     
     
         11 . The social networking platform of  claim 7 , wherein each fluency shaping exercise has a difficulty, wherein the difficulty of each fluency shaping exercise is based on a therapy stage of a user of one of the plurality of fluency practice devices. 
     
     
         12 . The social networking platform of  claim 2 , wherein the server is further configured to establish the fluency practice session between at least one of the fluency practice devices and at least one of the therapist devices over a communication channel. 
     
     
         13 . The social networking platform of  claim 12 , wherein the communication channel is any of: a text communication channel, an audio communication channel, and an audio-visual communication channel. 
     
     
         14 . The social networking platform of  claim 2 , wherein each social networking feed includes any of: a textual message, a video clip, an audio clip, an image, and a user-created exercise. 
     
     
         15 . The social networking platform of  claim 2 , wherein the fluency practice session is between at least two participating fluency practice devices or between at least one participating fluency practice device and at least one participating therapist device. 
     
     
         16 . The social networking platform of  claim 15 , wherein the server is further configured to select each participating fluency practice device and each participating therapist device based on a fluency progress of a user of each participating fluency practice device. 
     
     
         17 . The social networking platform of  claim 2 , wherein the server is further configured to store a progress of a user of each fluency practice device respective of the feedback. 
     
     
         18 . The social networking platform of  claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to communicate with each fluency practice device and each therapist device via any of: a web interface, an application installed on the device, and a script executed by the device. 
     
     
         19 . The social networking platform of  claim 1 , wherein each fluency practice device and each therapist device is any one of: a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computer device, and a game console. 
     
     
         20 . A method for enhancing speech fluency training via social networking platform, comprising:
 facilitating communications among a plurality of fluency practice devices and between a plurality of fluency practice devices and the plurality of therapist devices; and   sharing social networking feeds related to practicing speech fluency, wherein the social networking feeds are generated by at least each of the plurality of fluency practice devices.