Resonance speech therapy goals focus on controlling airflow through oral and nasal cavities to enhance voice clarity. They may be used to address hypernasality, hyponasality, or cul-de-sac resonance issues.
Goals should be functional (that help clients accomplish everyday tasks) and measurable (able to be tracked over time). Furthermore, setting an achievable timeline – such as three sessions or by a certain date – for meeting such goals can also be very helpful.
Breathing
Resonant voice training teaches individuals to utilize their vocal tract efficiently during phonation, providing an important step for those struggling with resonance disorders that interfere with speech. Resonance disorders may arise in adults as a result of neurogenic causes or articulation errors learned early in childhood, altering how air flows through nasal cavities and mouth during speech sound production – this results in hypernasality, hyponasality and cul-de-sac resonance being three common examples.
Resonance disorders often arise as a result of neurological conditions; however, they can also be caused by structural problems like cleft palate or enlarged adenoids. Sometimes both causes come into play at once; in these instances surgery may be required while for others such as transgender voice training this process simply entails learning how to use voice more efficiently.
Speech therapists will often begin by teaching patients breath control and encouraging them to utilize their diaphragm when producing sound. Next, they may move onto how best to feel their voice within their bodies – something which may prove challenging for those unfamiliar with its anatomy or function.
SLPs will then provide exercises and techniques designed to enhance the voice quality. These may include exercises such as humming exercises that encourage individuals to explore their “mask resonance,” resonance shaping techniques that teach their voices how to more efficiently shape themselves during phonation, as well as gentle onset techniques which start sounds off gradually to reduce strain on the voice.
SLPs may also offer vocal warm-up exercises designed to increase overall voice health by relieving tension and expanding vocal folds, leading to better airflow for resonance production. If you or a loved one is suffering from resonance disorder, speak with an accredited therapist today about treatment options available to them.
Relaxation
Resonant speech requires two essential speaking skills – breathing and relaxation. Breath control is vital as it fuels vibrations that form sound and voice vibrations, while relaxation helps lower tension on vocal cords by softening their impact (think covering a bell with blanket to decrease its ability to ring).
Resonance disorders can significantly diminish speech clarity and quality. They occur when there is an imbalance in how much oral and nasal sound energy is produced while speaking, due to structural issues like cleft palate or neurological dysfunction such as Velopharyngeal Dysfunction (VPD).
Speech-language pathologists play a vital role in screening, assessing, diagnosing and treating resonance disorders. They offer invaluable assistance by raising self-awareness, developing adaptive strategies and providing treatment techniques that promote resonant speech.
Resonance therapy aims to harmonize oral-nasal resonance easily in order to address voice complaints in an individual patient. If they suffer from hypernasality, hyponasality or cul-de-sac resonance issues, check out our Resonance Disorder Resources for step-by-step solutions.
Phonation
Resonant voice therapy focuses on harnessing your natural resonances to produce a strong and clear voice while minimizing stress and risk of injury. Resonant voice therapy can benefit anyone: singers, speakers and casual communicators may see increased vocal range, power and endurance while those with cleft palate often enjoy more natural speech sounds. Speech-language pathologists utilize various techniques such as voice-specific exercises (Kotby and Fex) and Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy with semi-occluded vocal tract exercises.
Your therapist will conduct a detailed oral examination to assess your articulation and resonance functions. They can identify structural causes for speech difficulties like cleft palate as well as determine if they may be mislearning related or functional issues which can be solved without surgery.
Once they have identified the cause of your speech disorder, a speech therapist will formulate an individualized plan with articulation and breathing strategies designed specifically to treat it. This plan will be tailored specifically for your challenges and type of cul de sac resonance disorder; additionally, this may prepare you for surgical intervention should your symptoms require it.
Cul de sac resonance disorders tend to be behavioral rather than structural in nature, meaning speech therapy may be more suitable as an approach than surgery for treating them.
If you have a cleft palate, here is some information about speech therapy treatments available to you. A cleft palate speech therapist can help reduce tongue thrust patterns and restore your confidence when speaking while improving eating, drinking, and speaking clearly while maintaining physical health.
Your therapist will teach you to adjust the environment around you so it better supports speaking. They may offer suggestions on how to tailor either your work or home environment and recommend specific exercises designed to retrain voice muscles for healthier, resonant tones. Furthermore, they may provide information on managing your condition effectively such as diet restrictions and how best to take care of a healing mouth.
Pitch
Your voice can be an incredible tool, no matter whether it is professional singing or everyday speech communication. However, if your vocal fatigue, hoarseness or pitch problems stem from poor resonance. Resonance therapy allows speech-language pathologists to teach how to harness natural resonances within your vocal tract – the series of resonating chambers such as your mouth and throat – in order to produce fuller, richer and more vibrant tones for improved communication.
Goal of voice therapy: to optimize and maximize vocal quality while increasing self-awareness and control while decreasing strain on vocal cords. Therapy begins with an assessment to gauge how your voice responds to different exercises and techniques – this helps your therapist determine the most suitable course of action.
Resonance Therapy Techniques
When performing resonance therapy, your speech-language pathologist (SLP) will use breathing and vocal warm-up exercises to improve breath support, relaxation and phonation. They may then apply various voice shaping techniques and gentle-onset phonation strategies that promote proper oral resonance.
SLPs often begin their sessions by asking simple questions such as “Where do you feel your voice?” Some patients can respond immediately while others never consider this aspect before. After asking these questions, exercises such as humming or making simple sound productions such as beeps may follow to stimulate vibrations within facial bones and sinuses – also known as mask resonance.
