Posted by: Laurie ®
05/21/2008, 17:37:08
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OH MY GOSH, SD IS CURABLE???? NO WAY!!!!!!!If someone had a real cure for SD, I think we'd all know about it! That's my polite answer to your question. Some practitioners claim to be able to cure disorders, but when asked to verify their results by outside raters, they refuse. Then, once verified (which in this case won't happen), this type of an individual would be rich, curing every SD patient in town. So one can only wonder outloud why such a practitioner wouldn't want to have blinded objective outside ratings of his/her "successes" if they are actual successes. It speaks volumes. A recent study just came out which points to focal white matter changes in the brains of SD patients. If some speech training program can fix that, I think we should all move to a parallel universe! However... some people can alter their voice with speech therapy... mostly by altering one's pitch... and mask some of their SD symptoms. This is doing nothing to address the underlying disorder, but there are a few helpful techniques that most reputable speech therapists (who don't charge thousands of dollars) can show you. It can also depend on your standards. Plenty of people I know use various techniques but I would not be happy with the voice they have. Good luck,
Laurie
Related link: Focal White Matter Changes in SD
Modified by Laurie at Wed, May 21, 2008, 17:38:23
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Posted by: mariaa ®
05/24/2008, 22:56:17
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That is interesting. I had a head injury last year and went for a MRI and it showed white matter changes.
Interesting.......
the doctor said that is just my MRI and couldnt find anything wrong with me because I was having headaches
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Posted by: David Barton ®
05/21/2008, 18:27:47
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Hello Sybil RaeWelcome to the NSDA BB. Serious questions have been raised about Morton Cooper's ethics. Please refer to the link provided below. Best wishes David Barton
Related link: Rebuttal of false statements by Morton Cooper
Modified by David Barton at Wed, May 21, 2008, 18:29:39
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Posted by: vger ®
05/21/2008, 18:56:04
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You will find plenty in the archives about Mr Morton Cooper, almost all of it highly negative. He is not a medical doctor, and he advertises that he is the only doctor in the world who can cure SD. In that context people could be confused about him and think he has a medical degree; not so. He is a PhD, not an MD.His methods are not peer-reviewed, and there is no evidence that other SLPs have been able to replicate his claimed successes. Please look at claims of unique cures very sceptically. If it worked, other SLPs would want to know more. I personally do not believe the testimonials at his website. Reputable healthcare professionals do not need to put up 100s of testimonials. Their ability speaks for itself; they do not need to promote their business like a weight-loss company. There is no evidence that the testimonials refer to properly dx'd cases of SD. At least one poster here gave him a glowing testimonial but later disowned it. I know others who have been to him and have later returned to Botox or had the SLAD-R surgery. For Mr Cooper spasmodic dysphonia is just a name for a strained voice. He does not acknowledge as far as I know that there are types of SD (ie adductor and abductor); instead he says SD is a result of vocal abuse and can be cured by learning to speak differently (but only through his methods of course!). Mr Cooper is a dystonia denier – for him SD is a bad voice, not a case of dystonia of the vocal cords, and not a neurological movement disorder. If you go to the 'success ratios' link at his website you will see it contradicts his other claims - no mention of SD. Unfortunately, because he is a slick businessman and was quick off the mark and registered the domain name spasmodicdysphonia.com, and heavily advertises online through Google when people search for the keywords 'spasmodic dysphonia', people get sucked in to considering him as an option for treating SD. If you do have SD, you would be well-advised to keep your wallet in your pocket.
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Posted by: hoarse whisperer ®
05/21/2008, 22:10:18
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I did some research, bought the book, talked to his office, and basically wasn’t very impressed with “Dr. Cooper” who isn’t actually a medical doctor at all. There used to be some pretty interesting information on this BB, but I couldn’t find anything when I searched the archives.I do remember from past messages that the cost was extremely expensive, like several thousand per week, plus travel, hotel, meals, and other expenses, and that some patients were expected to stay for several weeks, depending on how long they have had problems with their voice. If you review his website, you’ll see it’s quite peculiar and even a little paranoid with the all the conspiracy theories. I'm sorry but I don't believe that my fabulous medical team - from ENT, to Neurologist, to Speech Therapist are all colluding and conspiring to deny me the best treatment for my SD because they are all being paid off by pharmaceutical companies. Give me a break. My advice to myself was to trust my first instinct – If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is. Good luck! Lori
AB/SD and VCD since 2003
North Texas
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Posted by: Catherine1011 ®
05/22/2008, 06:56:58
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I also bought his book and was very excited about it until I spoke with my speech therapist. She just basically said that if he indeed had a "cure" every doctor and speech therapist would be using it by now. She did not believe in it. Sorry, I know it's a let down.
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Posted by: Sybil Rae ®
05/22/2008, 11:08:05
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I have searched the archives about MTD. I wonder if the people that Dr. Cooper has had success with were actually MTD patients and not SD.
My voice therapy hasn't been very successful and the ENT I have been seeing at the University of Iowa has asked me to come back and perhaps try botox. I am hesitant, of course. Does anyone know if botox is helpful with MTD?
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Posted by: David Barton ®
05/22/2008, 18:25:57
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Hello again SybilThere was an excellent presentation from Dr Nelson Roy at our recent NSDA Symposium in Salt Lake City about telling the difference between SD and MTD. His talk will be part of the DVD covering the Symposium sessions that NSDA will have available in the very near future. This will be announced on the NSDA website and to all on the NSDA's email list. Also, this has been discussed on the BB before - here is a link to one of those posts. David Barton (AD/SD, North Shore, NZ)
Related link: MTD vs AD SD
Modified by David Barton at Thu, May 22, 2008, 18:26:24
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Posted by: SDnoMORE ®
05/22/2008, 11:15:48
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Dear SD friends,
Why do we have to assume that someone is a "quack" if they go against popular opinion? Many great discoveries have been made by people who were unwilling to accept the status quo.
Here is some information I know about Dr. Morton Cooper:
1. He once was diagnosed with SD. After 10 years of experimenting he was able to regain his voice.
2. I visited his website 3 years ago - tried the Instant Voice Press exercise and immediately was able to speak clearly for a short while.
3. Because of this immediate, but short lived success, I traveled to L.A. and spent 4 weeks working with Dr. Cooper.
4. After 4 weeks I was not cured, but I had learned some things that were effective in helping my voice improve.
5. The cost of Dr. Cooper's treatment then was $4,000 per week. Today it is $5,000 per week.
6. Dr. Cooper received $16,000 for one month of treatments.
7. After three years of putting the knowledge I had gained at the clinic to work, I now speak clearly.
8. I still have SD - but I control it. It no longer controls me.
9. $16,000 and the ability to speak - Hmmm. You decide.Tim Kidwell
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Posted by: hedgehog ®
05/22/2008, 18:23:04
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Dear Tim. I am really glad that Dr Cooper's treatment helped you. His website impressed me. For one thing, it provided excellent reasons for why breathing and humming exercises were important (my speech therapist taught me the exercises, but did not provide the rationale behind them). However, I wanted evidence of successful outcomes with abductor SD patients, before shelling out thousands of dollars for his treatment, so I emailed him. He referred me to his website (success ratios and book), but this didn't provide the specific information that I had requested. I sent a follow-up email politely pointing this out to him, but he didn't respond, which I found disappointing. Perhaps he can not identify the reasons why his treatment works for some people, but not others. I try to be open-minded, so will not write him off, because he helps some people (god bless him), but neither will I spend hard earned money, without knowing what the odds are, that his treatment will work for me. From what I have read, the only difference between what Dr Cooper and other speech therapists do, is (1) Dr Cooper requires that his patients practice for hours each day; and (2) Dr Cooper accompanies his patients into real world situations to confirm that the treatment has worked. Maybe these are the things that make a difference. I guess we'll never know.
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Posted by: debbieo ®
06/04/2008, 07:49:32
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Tim,
I agree with your statement. I determined early on that conventional speech or voice therapy was not working for me. Seeing a therapist two to four times a month was not working. I felt that intensity was missing, more along the lines of rehabilitation of my voice. I also tried certain methods that I found on the internet and in several readings. If I tried a certain exercise and found albeit a very short lived improvement from that exercise then it had merit. Unconventional methods are just that unconventional, and not quackery. I feel great about the steps I've taken. I manage my SD, it doesn't manage me. Due to the need to perpetuate my personal financial situation by not losing my career, I took what I considered to be drastic measures to improve my SD voice. I stepped out on a limb and did intensive therapy. All I know is it worked. I'm not here to sell someone's methods, only to say that I'm greatly improved. So good luck to all of you.
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Posted by: Sybil Rae ®
06/05/2008, 08:40:59
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I read "Stop Committing Voice Suicide" yesterday and I really wish I were in the financial position to make the trip to Dr. Cooper's clinic. $20,000 plus expenses would be difficult (to say the least) on a teacher's salary. Has anyone had any luck with getting a referral from another doctor and getting insurance to help pay? I would be interested to know.
I have been to some of the top voice specialists in the country and I still can't speak. I'm feeling very desperate.
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