Episode 46: Specialize in Voice Therapy with Aaron Ziegler, PhD, CCC-SLP

 

Voice therapy is an effective behavioral intervention for many causes of dysphonia. Despite training in voice therapy, students and clinicians often do not feel as confident in their ability to treat voice disorders as they do in treating other communication disorders. Furthermore, achieving expert clinician status is often considered only obtainable after years of clinical experience. Critical to becoming a voice therapist is developing knowledge and skills for programming and administering voice therapy. In this course, decision-making in voice therapy will be discussed within an evidence-based practice framework, and opportunities to gain expertise in voice therapy will be recommended.

topics covered:

  •  Building blocks of specializing in Voice therapy: understanding the anatomy and physiology

  • Indirect therapy

  • Direct therapy

  • Applying critical thinking to treatment methods in voice practice

 

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Ziegler, A. (2018). Injury Prevention for a Touring Professional Singer with Phonotrauma. In Branski, R., & Molfenter, S. (Eds.), Speech-Language Pathology Casebook. New York, NY: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Gartner-Schmidt, J, Lewandowski, A, Haxer, M, & Milstein, CF. (2017). Voice Therapy for the Beginning Clinician. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups SIG 3, Vol. 2(Part 3).

Check out Dr. Ziegler’s resource list to continue your independent study.

Appendix A. Resources for post graduate voice training: (from Gartner-schmidt, 2017 article)

There are many available resources for post graduate training that go beyond the understanding of normal and disordered laryngeal function as it relates to airway protection, respiration, and phonation.

For example:

• Request observation time in a specialized voice center, or spend time with a master clinician

• Attend instructional workshops and courses. A full list of potential meetings can be found at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS) websites.

• These venues also provide excellent opportunities to meet more advanced practitioners in voice and sharing pertinent information.

• Subscribe to ASHA’s Special Interest Group #3 Voice: “Clinicians and students can have access to an online community of voice professionals where they can collaborate, learn, ask for advice, and share insights. In addition, SIG affiliates have access to Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, which includes articles from all 19 SIGs, and allows to earn ASHA continuing education units (CEUs).”

• Reach out to colleagues, school mates, other experienced clinicians to discuss difficult cases

• Books: Voice Therapy: Clinical Case Studies (Stemple & Hapner, 2014), Clinical Voice Pathology: Theory and Management (Stemple, 1984), The Voice and Voice Therapy (Boone, 1977), The Voice Book: Caring For Protecting, and Improving Your Voice (DeVore & Cookman, 2009), Exercises for Voice Therapy (Behrman & Haskell, 2013), etc.

• Online resources: YouTube videos demonstrating traditional therapy techniques or exercises, Ingo Titze’s Straw Phonation videos, Facebook groups such as The Voice Forum, or Clinical Voice Therapy

• Professional journals such as Journal of Voice and Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research

Aaron Ziegler, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is Director of The Wellness Group for Voice, Speech, and Swallowing. Dr. Ziegler obtained his Ph.D. in Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh with Dr. Verdolini Abbott and earned a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Northwestern University. He received a certificate in Vocology from the National Center for Voice & Speech under the direction of Dr. Ingo Titze. Dr. Ziegler most recently worked at the NW Center for Voice & Swallowing at OHSU where he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship. He worked at the Emory Voice Center, where he completed his clinical fellowship, and the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center. His clinical interests include vocal aging, gender expansive voice and communication, and vocal injury prevention and treatment. He has published research, funded in part by grants through the National Institutes of Health, on models of voice therapy and prevention, including the co-development of Phonation Resistance Training Exercises (PhoRTE) to treat age-related voice changes. He was Associate Editor of Vocal Health and Science for the Voice and Speech Review from the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), and he reviews for a variety of journals. He was a member of the voice topic committee for ASHA’s 2018 Convention. He is a regular speaker throughout the U.S. as well as internationally.

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