{"id":1682,"date":"2012-10-22T19:23:38","date_gmt":"2012-10-22T19:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/?p=1682"},"modified":"2023-11-08T10:20:56","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T18:20:56","slug":"does-your-child-need-voice-therapy-for-spasmodic-dysphonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/speech-disorders\/does-your-child-need-voice-therapy-for-spasmodic-dysphonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Your Child Need Voice Therapy for Spasmodic Dysphonia?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Unusual<\/a>

Image source: Memegenerator.net<\/p><\/div>\n

Unless you don\u2019t drive, unusual noises from your car are probably high up on your list of \u201cThings You Don\u2019t Want to Deal With.\u201d Especially when they are the types of noises that only occur when you\u2019re the one driving it and never when your mechanic checks it out. Just because a problem is intermittent doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re imagining it, and the same holds true for voice disorders like spasmodic dysphonia. If your child has spasmodic dysphonia, you may only notice irregular vocalizations occasionally. It\u2019s always best to have a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) evaluate your child<\/a> if you think there might be a problem. Voice therapy and other treatment methods can help your child if he has spasmodic dysphonia.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What Is It?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spasmodic dysphonia is a voice disorder that involves the muscles in the larynx. A person with spasmodic dysphonia will experience spasms of those muscles, which negatively impacts the vibrations of the vocal folds. This interferes with a person\u2019s ability to produce sound.<\/p>\n

Signs & Symptoms<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spasmodic dysphonia is chronic and progressive, meaning that you will notice signs of it for a long period of time that will typically worsen gradually. The symptoms may also become more evident when the child is fatigued, and less apparent when the child is singing or laughing. A child may have periods of time when his voice sounds normal or almost normal, as well as periods of time when he cannot speak at all (aphonia). When he is speaking, the sound may be interrupted or the voice may sound jerky, hoarse, or otherwise abnormal. Additionally, your child might complain of a sore or dry throat.<\/p>\n

\"Doctor<\/a>

Image source: Webmd.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Diagnosis of Spasmodic Dysphonia<\/strong><\/p>\n

A diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia requires the team effort of several professionals. You might take your child to his pediatrician first. If a voice disorder is suspected, the pediatrician might give you a referral for an ears, nose, and throat specialist. This doctor will examine your child\u2019s vocal folds during a simple procedure called fiberoptic nasolaryngoscopy. He will pass a small tube with a light through the nose to the back of the throat.<\/p>\n

A neurologist may also examine your child to rule out any muscle movement disorders. Your child should also see a speech therapist. The speech therapist will evaluate your child\u2019s voice quality and ask you about his symptoms.<\/p>\n

Treatment of Spasmodic Dysphonia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Injections<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no cure for spasmodic dysphonia, but treatment can help. Injections of botulinum toxin directly into the larynx muscles is often recommended. These injections block nerve impulses. Your child may require injections about every three to four months. Some side effects may occur, but they typically dissipate after a few days or weeks. They can include swallowing difficulties and a temporarily weak voice.<\/p>\n

\"Botox<\/a>

Image source: Sapphire.net.nz<\/p><\/div>\n

AAC Devices<\/span><\/p>\n

Speech therapists have a range of treatment methods in their arsenals \u2013 from Speech Buddies<\/a> to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices<\/a>. If your child has limited verbal abilities, the SLP will likely recommend an AAC device. This is any method of nonverbal communication, such as sign language or picture cards.<\/p>\n

Voice Therapy<\/span><\/p>\n

Voice therapy is also a frequently used treatment method for spasmodic dysphonia. Voice therapy can help your child acquire different means of voice production and reduce vocal behaviors that can be harmful. For example, your child\u2019s SLP might teach him to use more breath support when he produces sounds. He might also benefit from proper tongue positioning.<\/p>\n \n \n \n \"Parent's<\/a>\n <\/span>\n <\/span>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unless you don\u2019t drive, unusual noises from your car are probably high up on your list of \u201cThings You Don\u2019t Want to Deal With.\u201d Especially when they are the types of noises that only occur when you\u2019re the one driving it and never when your mechanic checks it out. Just because a problem is intermittent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[904,20,5,318,905],"class_list":["post-1682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-speech-disorders","tag-spasmodic-dysphonia","tag-speech-disorders-1","tag-speech-therapy","tag-voice-disorders","tag-voice-therapy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1682"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11928,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682\/revisions\/11928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}