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Speech-Language Pathology

The UMMC Voice and Swallowing Center diagnoses and treats voice and speech disorders. From issues as common as laryngitis or as serious as cancer, our multidisciplinary team works to restore voice and speech functions as much as possible and improve our patients' quality of life. ENT specialists (otolaryngologists), speech-language pathologists, and the state's only fellowship-trained voice specialist (laryngologist) work together to identify the cause of a patient's problem and develop a comprehensive, individualized treatment plan.

We diagnose and treat airway and swallowing disorders brought on by neurologic diseases as well as professional and occupational voice disorders resulting from childhood developmental delays, stroke, or traumatic brain injury. As part of the state's only academic medical center, we can offer each patient the most appropriate medical, surgical, and/or behavioral treatment for their unique situation.

Services

• Biofeedback treatment
• Cognitive evaluation and treatment
• Educational resources 
• Fiber-optic scope examination
• Head and neck cancer rehabilitation
• McNeil Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP)
• Respiratory retraining
• Speech/language evaluation and treatment
• Strengthening exercise program
• Stroboscopy (slow-motion, freeze-frame photography of the vocal cords)
• Surgery to treat disease, disorders, and trauma
• Tracheosphageal puncture management
• Voice evaluation and treatment
• Voice health care for professional and amateur vocal performance groups

Diagnostic testing

Our speech-language pathology program provides a range of specialized testing, including:

• Communication augmentative evaluation
• Dysphagia evaluation and testing
• Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)
• Modified barium swallowing
• Videostroboscopy voice evaluation and testing

Conditions treated

• Salivary gland conditions:
  
  • Inflammation (sialadenitis)
  • Inflamed parotid glands (parotitis)
  • Salivary stones (sialolithiasis)
  • Cancers, tumors, and growths
• Swallowing problems:
  
  • Sore throat
  • Snoring and sleep apnea
  • Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia and odynophagia)
  • Tonsillitis
  • Cancers, tumors, and growths
  • Zenker's diverticulum
• Voice problems and vocal cord disorders:
  
  • Laryngitis
  • Hoarseness
  • Vocal cord/folds paralysis
  • Laryngeal fracture
  • Narrowing (stenosis) of the airway
  • Noisy breathing (stridor)
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Vocal organ impairment:
    
    • Dysphonia
    • Spasmodic dysphonia