The early detection of voice disorders is important because they can affect a child’s quality of life and keep them from building a clear speaking voice into adulthood. We can help diagnose and treat voice disorders in children, adolescents and teens.
Our pediatric-trained specialists have experience in voice disorders and educating patients about vocal health. They have specialized equipment for evaluation and treatment. Bilingual speech-language pathologists and interpreters are also available. A referral from your child’s doctor is needed for treatment.
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- Voice disorders can lead to negative attention, academic difficulty and limited participation in activities in children.
- More than 1 million children in the U.S. are affected by voice disorders.
- Voice disorders that begin in childhood can continue into adulthood.
- Cheerleaders face a greater risk of vocal problems. Learn more.
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Signs & Symptoms
Voice disorders in children can often go unnoticed or be confused with a child’s natural speech. There are several signs that a child may have a voice disorder if they occur often. They include:
- Hoarseness, roughness, breathiness or strain
- Difficulty speaking loudly or speaking too loudly
- Loss of voice
- Pitch that is too high or low for age
- Vocal fatigue
- Soreness or pain in the throat when talking
- Cough not caused by infection or asthma
Speak to your doctor if your child shows any of these warning signs.
What We Treat
Voice disorders develop for a variety of reasons. Children’s can help treat and prevent disorders by teaching proper vocal health. We can also treat disorders that are a result of medical conditions like:
- Subglottic stenosis
- Vocal nodules
- Granuloma
- Papilloma
- Vocal fold cysts
- Vocal fold paralysis
Print-friendly PDF about our Voice Disorders Program.
Meet Caitlyn
Caitlyn Dreher is the rare breed of teenager who doesn’t like to spend a lot of time texting.
She prefers to speak, whether it is talking to friends, singing in the choir or answering questions in class.
When a lingering disorder left her without a voice, Caitlyn had no choice but to live through whispers and text messages for nearly four months.
See how our program helped rebuild this talkative teen’s voice.