Section: Module 5: Lesson 2: Voice and its Disorders. | Speech Language Pathology | NextGenU.org

  • Student Learning Outcomes:
    Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
    • Explain the causes and characteristics of phonation (voice) disorders.
    • Recognize aided and unaided augmentative communication systems.
    • Explain the causes of both congenital cerebral palsy and acquired cerebral palsy.
    • Recognize the diseases that cause dysarthria in adults.
    • Describe the 5 perceptual speech characteristics of dysarthria including: respiration, phonation, articulation, resonance, and prosody.
    • Compare the differences and similarities of dysarthria in individuals with cerebral palsy and adults with dysarthria.
    • Explain the difference between velopharyngeal function, velopharyngeal insufficiency, velopharyngeal incompetence, and velopharyngeal mislearning.
    • Explain what a cleft lip or palate is, what can cause it, and the symptoms.
    Approximate time required to complete the readings (at 144 words/minute) and assignments for this lesson: 4 hours and 42 minutes.

    Click here to start this lesson

    • Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • Read the "Overview" section. (4 minutes)

      ASHA Practice Portal - 2020

    • Read the entire page. (4 minutes)

      ASHA - 2020

    • Read the entire page. (11 minutes)

      U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - 2019

    • Read the sections labeled "Overview" and "Causes." (2 minutes)

      Mayo Clinic Foundation for Medical Eduction and Research - 2020

    • Read the last two paragraphs in the "Overview" section. Read the "Signs and Symptoms" section as well. (3 minutes)

      ASHA Practice Portal - 2020

    • Read the section labeled "Overview" as well as the section labeled "Causes." (5 minutes)

      ASHA 2020

    • Read the section "What causes cerebral palsy" as well as the section called "What are the different forms?" (12 minutes)

      National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke -2020

    • Read about "normal velopharyngeal function," as well as "types of velopharyngeal dysfunction," and "velopharyngeal dysfunction and speech." (3 minutes)

      Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center - 2019

    • Read the entire sheet. (7 minutes)

      Mayo Clinic Foundation for Medical Education and Research 2019

    • Read the section labeled "Roles and Responsibilities." (4 minutes)

      ASHA - 2020

    • Activity

    • In this activity, you will evaluate and discuss the differences and similarities of dysarthria in individuals with cerebral palsy and adults with dysarthria.

      Step 1: Write a 300-700 word discussion post describing the differences and similarities of dysarthria in individuals with cerebral palsy and adults with dysarthria. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. See the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library for instructions: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      Step 2: To share your work, click on the button at the bottom of the screen labeled “Add a new discussion topic” and include the title "Discussion: Comparison of symptoms for adults with dysarthria symptoms and individuals with dysarthria caused by cerebral palsy" in the subject line.

      Step 3: To complete the activity, you will need to comment on at least one post made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your post, please reply. To post a reply, click on the particular discussion, then click on “Reply.”

      OPTIONAL Step 4: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”


    • In this activity, you will discuss one way in which a speech-language pathologist can assist a person with a phonation/voice disorder and one way in which a speech-language pathologist can assist a person with an oral-facial cleft.

      Step 1: Write a 100-500 word essay discussing one way in which a speech-language pathologist can assist a person with a phonation/voice disorder and one way in which a speech-language pathologist can assist a person with an oral-facial cleft.

      All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. See the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library for instructions: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      Step 2: To share your work, click on the button at the bottom of the screen labeled “Add a new discussion topic” and include the title "Discussion: A speech-language pathologist's role in the care of an individual with an oral-facial cleft and an individual with a phonation (voice) disorder" in the subject line.

      Step 3: To complete the activity, you will need to comment on at least one post made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your post, please reply. To post a reply, click on the particular discussion, then click on “Reply.”

      OPTIONAL Step 4: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”


    • Quiz

    • quiz icon
      Module 5: Quiz

      To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to respond to the questions.

      TO PASS THIS QUIZ YOU MUST OBTAIN A SCORE OF 80%.

      Not available unless: The activity Module 4: Quiz is marked complete
    • Recommended Additional Readings

    • Read the entire page. (3 minutes)

      Mayo Clinic Foundation for Medical Education and Research - 2020

    • Start at the sections "More about speech therapy for dysarthria." Open the boxes with the "+." (2 minutes)

      Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation - 2016

    • Read the section labeled "Treating Voice Disorders: The Role of the Speech Language Pathologist in Voice Therapy." (10 minutes)

      Speech Pathology Graduate Programs - 2020