Puberphonia is a condition affecting males predominately, in which an unusually high voice pitch exists beyond puberty (Stemple et al, 2000). Around the age of twelve, males experience a sudden increase in the size of their larynx. Vocal cords increase in length resulting in the vibration of the vocal cords at a lower pitch or frequency. Males who experience Puberphonia, also known as Mutational Falsetto or Juvenile Voice, do not experience any physical differences in their vocal cords or larynxes, but rather, the issue arises from the individual not making the transition into “using the deeper voice which their larger vocal dimensions would normally produce” (Harisinghani, 2009). It is less likely for females to experience Puberphonia, as they do not experience these physiological changes, however it is still possible for females to present a child-like or very juvenile voice (Stemple et al, 2000). The reasons for the symptoms of Puberphonia are seen to be psychological, and are fairly easy to modify (Carlson, 1994). Other symptoms of this condition include hoarseness, breathiness, pitch breaks, inadequate resonance, shallow breathing, muscle tension and lack of variability. Patients also often describe the inability to shout, as well as vocal fatigue (Stemple et al, 2000). There are many reasons in which Puberphonia may occur. These include an embarrassment of the new voice after it ‘breaks’, failure to accept their adult role, social immaturity, muscle in coordination, or even “over identification of a male with his mother” (Stemple et al, 2000). The case may also depend on the individuals’ personal factors such as the desire to maintain a soprano singing voice if part of a choir for example (Stemple et al, 2000). The prognos... ... middle of paper ... ...r (2011) argues however that this intervention technique is not effective. It is argued that it is often not physiologically possible for some individuals to swallow and phonate at the same time. This technique may also induce vocal hyperfunction and damage to vocal folds which can increase the risk of the voice problem worsening. Pannbacker ultimately argues that laryngeal closure techniques “should be used in moderation because of potential damage that can occur” (Pannbacker, 2011). Puberphonia can be successfully treated with voice therapy. Other approaches include reassurance that there is no physical problem causing the high pitch, and laryngeal massage. A lower pitch can often be obtained during the first or second speech therapy session. The main challenge then is for the patient to accept and adjust to the new “adult” sound or role (Bhattarai et al, 2010).
As most people know speech and language issues would only happen with children just learning to talk and tennagers in middle school to high school. The reasoning behind this is because most people don’t correct their children’s speech when they are first learning due to the fact that the parents or grandparents think it is to cute to correct, which only hurts the children more th...
He did not exhibit having nodules, polyps, or any damaging affects to his vocal folds. Concerning resonance, the quality of a sound that stays loud, clear, and deep for a long time, Geoff did not exhibit a hoarse voice, an overly high-pitched voice, or issues with loudness or quality in general. The case study did not touch on voice and resonance problems with him. A normal range of voice and resonance limits for Geoff is assumed of as the reader. Regarding fluency, this is the area that Geoff is the most impaired in since stuttering is classified as a fluency disorder. Geoff’s parents report that he has been stuttering since the age of 3. They also reported that his stuttering would come and go, and that he would have “fluent periods that lasted two months”. His parents believed that he would outgrow his stutter because of the long periods of fluency. However, once Geoff was evaluated by a SLP, he was diagnosed with having a severe stutter. On a scale of healthy fluencies, the average person is only 2-5% disfluent. Since Geoff has a severe stutter, it can be assumed that he scored higher than an 8% overall disfluent
(Table 1. In the left column are characteristics or other vocal anomalies expressed by each individual. On the top row indicates the individual.)
Winitz, H. (1984). Treating articulation disorders for clinicians by clinicians. (pp. 263-286). Austin, TX: Proed.
The pharynx is a large cavity behind the mouth and between the nasal cavity and larynx. The pharynx serves, as an air and food passage but cannot be used for both purposes at the same time, otherwise choking would result. The air is also warmed and moistened further as it passes through the pharynx. The larynx is a short passage connecting the pharynx to the trachea and contains vocal chords. The larynx has a rigid wall and is composed mainly of muscle and cartilage, which help prevent collapse and obstruction of the airway.
"Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (2-Year Program).” College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. Boston University.
The extended duration of /s/ and /l/ has been explored in studies researching the speech styles of gay men and gay-sounding men. Researchers found that gay sounding men often often lengthen their pronunciation of the letters ‘s,’ creating a hissing sound, and ‘l,’
Goal: In 6 weeks, with a treatment frequency of 5 hours a week, mrs. K. speaks words with velar sounds (/ng/ /g/ /k/) in a 1-to-1 conversation with an acquaintance in an intelligible way.
In conclusion, speech-language pathologists have a responsibility to be knowledgeable regarding to intervention approaches for auditory-processing disorders. Intervention should incorporate “comprehensive programming, incorporating bottom up (e.g. acoustic signal enhancement, auditory training) and top-down (i.e. cognitive, metacognitive, and language strategies) approaches” (ASHA, 2005a). The school-based speech-language pathologist should employ aspects of informal and/or formal auditory training, environmental modifications, and compensatory strategies and central resources training to create an individualized intervention approach for the students with APD on their caseload.
Apraxia of speech is a well-known disease among children around the entire world. There are many stories out there about children having apraxia of speech as well as overcoming it. A story about a girl named Big Sister inspired me and made me want to know more about apraxia. According to “This Simple Home” a young girl with the name of Big Sister showed early signs of apraxia but nobody wanted to believe it. She was always such a happy baby but she didn’t babble or have any sounds. She had no throaty signs, the only sound was mmm-mmm while she was eating, which didn’t start until the age of five. She did laugh and giggle and cry though. They began teaching her sign language so that she could communicate around the age of two and people around them thought that they were crazy for doing so. Around the age of fifteen months their pediatrician encouraged them to go get a hearing evaluation as well as a speech evaluation. From there they started therapy. She had a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) and by her second birthday she was having a couple word approximations. Then from there she began to improve. (Annette, 2012)
Have you ever thought about how we talk and what causes us to say those words the way we say them? Well a speech pathologist does. Their entire job focuses on how and what causes people to speak the way they do. Most people have no problem with speaking but some do. There are several disorders in speech, one being stuttering. Most people do not understand the importance and the difficulty of learning how to cope with the disorder of stuttering. This speech disorder can affect numerous aspects in a patients’ life and can cause embarrassment, or even possibly lower some people’s self-confidence level; to some people stuttering isn’t just an aspect in their life, their life revolves around the disorder and trying to overcome it. When dealing with stuttering it takes identifying the disorder and making sure the patient is being affected by stuttering, also figuring out what will help the individual cope with the side effects of stuttering, and explaining the importance of overcoming this disorder in a stutterer’s daily life.
To conclude, homosexuality is a vastly complex and intricate topic with thousands of components. Many scientists suspect that the root causes of homosexuality are more varied and complex than just one simple explanation. However, it is irrefutable that the facts and the science will not change to support opinions.
Leung, A. (1999). Evaluation and management of the Children with Speech Delay. American Family Physicians, 3121-3128.
Homosexuality has been the topic of constant conflict today. Homosexuality is defined as, a romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. In addition, homosexuality has been accepted more today, however, it is still frowned upon by many. Consequently, there are many challenges on the views of homosexuality. Some may think that this is an abnormal behavior, to have an attraction to the same sex. On the contrary, there are many who defend that the feelings that homosexual has, are feelings that are normal, not to mention, homosexuals believe that they were in fact born this way. Furthermore, in this essay, it will look at the challenges that are presented on this topic, and look at the conflict that is between society, homosexuals, and the church.
Sexual orientation is the preferred term used when referring to an individual's physical and or emotional attraction to the same and or opposite sex. Heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual and pansexual are all sexual orientations. An individual's gender identity and expression is distinct from their sexual orientation. Throughout life as the individual explores the world around them, they are shaped by the unique experiences and influences that are imparted upon them. All people experience life subjectively therefore there is no monolithic way of viewing or defining one’s sexual identity, however, there are particular experiences that may shape and develop specific characteristics or tendencies that a group of people may share. Andrew Sullivan addresses this very issue in his 1995 book, Virtually Normal: An Argument about Homosexuality. In the prologue, titled “What is a Homosexual?” Sullivan ponders what exactly composes a homosexual life and why certain environmental factors are fundamental and exclusive to the homosexual experience. He sees self-control/subjugation as a crucial part of all human experience, however, he considers the homosexual (more broadly, the LGBTQ) experience to be unique in that early on they learn to make sexual/emotional distinctions out of a need for survival. They learn to function within the parameter of certain social rules in order to blend and eventually this becomes a sort of second nature that is hard to break.