Major focus area

Speech Therapy -> Voice

Short description

Hygienic voice therapy is an approach targeting vocal behaviors in the patient’s habitual speech patterns that are the case of the voice disorder. Once the SLP identifies the poor vocal hygiene habits the patient is instructed on how to modify or eliminate the behavior leading to improved voice production (Stemple, et al., 2000; Pannbacker, 1998).

Long description

Hygienic voice therapy is an approach targeting vocal behaviors in the patient’s habitual speech patterns that are the case of the voice disorder. Once the SLP identifies the poor vocal hygiene habits the patient is instructed on how to modify or eliminate the behavior leading to improved voice production. Poor vocal hygiene behaviors include shouting, talking loudly over noise, screaming, vocal noises, coughing, throat clearing, and poor hydration. Poor vocal hygiene may also include the habitual use of voice components in an inappropriate manner.

For example: use of an inappropriate pitch our loudness, reduced respiratory support, poor phonatory habits (glottal attacks/glottal fry) or inappropriate resonance are simply functional vocal behaviors(Stemple, et al., 2000; Pannbacker, 1998).