Are you concerned with the way your child's voice sounds? Maybe it is hoarse, or raspy, or sounds rough. Have you been referred to speech therapy by an otolaryngologist (ENT)? Does your student-athlete have asthma that is not helped by an inhaler and causes tightness/choking in their throat? There may be an issue with the voice box that can be helped by theray! It might sound like this: 

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• hoarse/raspy/"smokers" voice: if your child has been diagnosed with vocal nodules, speech therapy is an effective way to change vocal habits, educate on vocal hygiene and reduce the size or presence of vocal nodules. 

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• muscle tension dysphonia: some voice issues are caused by excessive tension in the neck and throat area. By addressing this tension/tightness, the voice can begin to heal and improve. Tension can sound like running out of air, forcing to finish a sentence or a tight/strangled sounding voice. 

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• breath support: you have to breathe to speak! Sometimes, children who have poor breathing or poor coordination of breathing can have a poor speaking voice. They can run out of air when they talk or take big, unnatural sounding breaths in the middle of a sentence. Often, these children with rush to finish a sentence or "trail off" as they talk because they are running out of air. 

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• paradoxical vocal fold dysfunction (PVFD): a common sign of asthma is tightness in the lungs/chest. If you child complains of choking or tightness in the throat, this may be a sign of a voice issue. Contact us for more detailed information about this disorder. 

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NOTE: Voice disorders are generally not treated in early intervention or in schools. If your child has voice concerns an outpatient setting (like with Leaps and Sounds Pediatric Rehabilitation) would be a great place to start. 

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