*Hydrate:
Situations and substances that may dehydrate a child’s vocal folds suchas caffeinated beverages, second-hand smoke, or medicated throat lozenges,should be avoided.
Humidifiers are to be used in dry, winter months.
Water is to be taken in smaller amounts throughout the day.
*Help the child maintain an ideal body weight:
This reduces reflux and also eases breathing during the night byreducing mouth breathing & snoring.
*Adequate breath support for voice use:
Slow, relaxed breaths during pauses and speaking at a normal rateare recommended.
Encourage the child to pause appropriately, to take a breath whilespeaking, especially during longer sentences.
*Relaxation exercises if muscle tension is diagnosed:
Encourage the child to stretch his neck, shoulders, tongue, facial, and jaw muscles periodically, throughout the day.
*Monitor the effects of medication on voice:
Some medications can cause dryness in a child’s mouth and throat. Thechild should drink plenty of water to compensate for their drying effects.
*Recognize symptoms of reflux:
Both gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and larnygo-pharyngeal reflux(LPR) can negatively affect a child’s voice. Common symptoms are Hoarseness,Chronic (ongoing) coughing, frequent throat clearing, pain or irritation in the throat, feeling of a lump in the throat, bad/bitter taste in the mouth(especially in the morning), asthma-like symptoms etc.
*Good vocal hygiene and healthy voice use:
Help the child to maintain good general health (encourage adequaterest, regular exercise, balanced diet).
Avoid overuse of the voice when tired or during a cold, throatclearing or coughing, whispering, loud excessive talking and shouting,straining your voice, and making vocally abusive noises while playing.
FACTORS AFFECTINGTHE VOICE:
Health-related issues
•allergies
•frequent colds
•post nasal drip
•acid reflux
•hearing loss
•craniofacial anomalies
•hyper-extended jaw
•abnormal palate
•some medications
AbusivePractices
•throat clearing
•coughing
•crying
•excessive talking
•screaming
•impersonations
•shouting with background noise
•yodeling
•grunting
•singing without proper training
Environment & Lifestyle
•noisy environment
•cheering
•sports
•poor sleep patterns
•poor eating habits
•dramatics
•aggressive arguing
•stress
•family communication style
•air pollution
Interpersonalbehaviors
•talking too much
•poor self-esteem
•depression
•aggressive behavior
•competing for attention