Intro and normal voice

Question 1

What is voice production composed of?

Answer 1

1. Air: Lungs, diaphragm, muscles of chest.
   Respiration is the energy source for voice
2. Vibration: Larynx, vocal folds
   3.Resonance: oral and nasal cavity

Question 2

What do we perceive as normal voice?

Answer 2

1. Loudness - voice is loud enough to be heard
2. Pleasantness - voice is pleasant to the ear
3. Flexibility - Flexible enough to express emotion
4. Representation - represents persons age and gender
5. Production hygiene - voice produced without causing vocal trauma/ laryngeal lesions

Question 3

What is the function of voice?

Answer 3

Audibility, paralinguistic features such as emotion and personality, linguistic features such as grammar, social interaction, exert control over listener. listener can inference things about speaker.

Question 4

Features of normal voice

Answer 4

Phonation: Males - 25sec, females - 20sec, child - 10 sec, over 65 - 14 sec
Quality - should be plesant (not rough, breathy, strained etc)
Pitch - 5 notes minimum, smooth equal change between each note, distinct difference between high and low
Volume - count 1- 5 with increasing volume, even progession with distinct difference

Question 5

Voice team

Answer 5

GP, ENT, SLP, radiologist, singing/speech and drama teacher, pyschiatrist/psychologist

Question 6

What is the role of the speech pathologist?

Answer 6

1. Diagnose & treat vocal behaviour
2. Select & implement voice therapy program
3. Develop therapeutic
   relationship with P (goals, documentation, termination criteria)
4. Technological assistance
5. Provide info ie. re vocal hygiene
6. Develop P’s self-perception skills
7. Analysis of lifestyle & environmental factors impacting on voice
8. Establish strategies to reduce vocal abuse
9. Appropriate and sensitive referrals

Question 7

What is the number one rule for voice referrals?

Answer 7

Client must be seen by an ENT first!