Voice Disorders occur when a child exhibits a deviation in the pitch, intensity, or duration of his/her voice.  Children suffering from voice disorders often display a hoarse, raspy vocal quality and may have difficulty varying the volume of their voice.  Often this is a result of overuse of their voice or talking too loudly. Sometimes breath support can also cause a weak voice.  You can find some fun activities to work on breath support at home here. 

 

Before a child can be treated for a voice disorder, he/she must see an ear-nose-throat (ENT) doctor.  The ENT will generally perform an oral or nasoendoscopy.  This procedure allows the ENT to look at the child's vocal folds to determine if vocal nodules or other abnormalities are present.  If the ENT deems voice therapy appropriate, the child may qualify for services.