Self-Perception and Listener Perceptions at Long-Term Follow-Up of a Gender-Affirming Voice Training Program for Transgender Women.

Introduction: Many transgender individuals find their voice often not matching their gender identity. By using gender-affirming voice training, voice and communication specialists help transgender women find a voice that aligns with their gender identity. Short-term outcomes of voice training programs showed progress in listener perception, self-perception, and satisfaction of transgender women's voices.

Exploring autonomic dysfunction in functional dysphonia: A protocol for a case-control study and a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Although psychological factors have been implicated in patients with functional dysphonia (FD), conventional voice therapy (CVT) typically targets the aberrant voice symptoms exclusively. Yet, CVT is not always successful, and in view of the significant adverse quality of life impact combined with the financial burden on the healthcare system and society, research is needed to elucidate the underlying psychophysiology of FD and improve treatment outcomes.

Objectives: The first objective of this research project is to compare the occurrence and frequency of symptoms and/or disorders related to autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in patients with FD with gender- and age-matched vocally healthy controls, using a case-control study.

Long-term Acoustic Effects of Gender-Affirming Voice Training in Transgender Women.

Objectives: One role of a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is to help transgender clients in developing a healthy, gender-congruent communication. Transgender women frequently approach SLPs to train their voices to sound more feminine, however, long-term acoustic effects of the training needs to be rigorously examined in effectiveness studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects (follow-up 1: 3months and follow-up 2: 1year after last session) of gender-affirming voice training for transgender women, in terms of acoustic parameters.

Voice and Communication in Transmasculine Individuals One Year Under Testosterone Therapy: A Qualitative Study.

Objectives/hypotheses: The purpose of this study was to investigate voice and communication difficulties in transmasculine individuals to develop evidence-based voice and communication training programs.

Study Design: Qualitative study.

Methods: Eight transmasculine individuals, who had received testosterone therapy (TT) for at least 1year, were included in this study.

Experiences of Patients with Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Insider's Perspective.

Objective: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is often characterized by severe dysphonia and has a significant impact on a patient's communication in daily and vocational situations. Having a better understanding of how UVFP influences quality of life and patient experiences can help improve patient-centered care in this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of patients with UVFP.

Clinical Experiences of Voice Therapists in the Rehabilitation of Pediatric Vocal Fold Nodules.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify common clinical practices and experiences of voice therapists regarding the treatment of pediatric vocal fold nodules (VFNs) in Flanders, Belgium.

Study Design: Observational survey study.

Methods: A 38-item online survey was completed by 35 voice therapists (32 females, 3 males) with experience in treating pediatric VFNs.

Effect of a Group-Based Narrative Language Training in Typically Developing Turkish-Dutch Children.

Introduction: Due to the heterogeneity in language trajectories and differences in language exposure, a lot of bilingual children could use some extra support for the acquisition of the school language to reduce the risk of language problems and learning difficulties. Enhancing bilingual children's narrative abilities in the school language could be an efficient approach to advance the general school language abilities as well. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether a narrative intervention could improve both general and narrative school language abilities of typically developing bilingual (Turkish-Dutch) children.

The Occurrence of Laryngeal Pathologies in a Treatment-Seeking Pediatric Population.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to 1) describe the age- and sex-specific occurrence of laryngeal pathologies in a treatment-seeking pediatric population in the voice unit of Ghent University Hospital, Belgium, and 2) describe this population in terms of vocal parameters, vocal complaints, influencing factors, and treatment history and recommendation.

Study Design: Retrospective, observational study.

Methods: All patient records were analyzed for children (0-18 years) who consulted the ear, nose, and throat department of Ghent University Hospital for the first time between July 2015 and June 2021 with complaints of dysphonia.

Short-term effects of a speech feminization program for transgender women: listener perceptions, self-perception and satisfaction of the voice.

This study measured and compared the short-term impact of pitch elevation training (PET) and articulation-resonance training (ART) in transgender women, on self-perception, satisfaction and masculinity-femininity perceptions of listeners. A randomized controlled study with cross-over design was used. Thirty transgender women were included and received fourteen weeks of speech training.

Attitudes of Teachers toward Multilingualism, Heritage Language Maintenance, and Second Language Learning at School.

Introduction: Providing an adapted language input in a multicultural classroom is often challenging to educators. Teachers are frequently the parents' first contacts for language counseling and educational support, and therefore, they may influence the language exposure not only in the classroom but at home as well. This study aimed to investigate the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral attitudes of teachers toward multilingualism in Flanders.

Clinical Experiences of Speech-Language Pathologists in the Rehabilitation of Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis.

Purpose: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is a neurological voice disorder that is often first treated by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). In literature, little consensus is found regarding voice therapy onset, duration, frequency, and content. The aim of the current study is to investigate the clinical practice of SLPs for treatment of UVFP regarding diagnostics and treatment characteristics.

Voice Outcome of Glottoplasty in Trans Women.

Purpose: This study investigates the short- and longer-term effects of glottoplasty up to six months after surgery on acoustic voice parameters, listener perceptions, and client's satisfaction in trans women. Secondly, the impact of chondrolaryngoplasty and voice therapy on the glottopasty outcomes was investigated.

Method: A prospective longitudinal non-controlled trial was used.

Immediate effects of straw phonation in air or water on the laryngeal function and configuration of female speech-language pathology students visualised with strobovideolaryngoscopy: A randomised controlled trial.

Background: A promising way to obtain vocal economy and efficiency is by semi-occluding the vocal tract while phonating. Current knowledge about the immediate effects of semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) phonation on the laryngeal function and configuration is based mainly on computer modelling or excised larynges studies. In in vivo SOVT studies, electroglottography (EGG) has been the most commonly used laryngeal outcome, showing contradictory results between studies.

How acceptable is the use of linguistic-phonological intervention in children with cleft palate? A qualitative study in speech therapists.

Background & Aims: Even though evidence for the use of linguistic-phonological intervention approaches in children with a cleft (lip and) palate (CP±L) is still limited, these approaches are being used by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to treat active or compensatory cleft speech disorders in clinical practice. It is, however, unknown to what extent linguistic-phonological intervention is acceptable to SLPs. The aim of this study is to investigate the retrospective acceptability of linguistic-phonological intervention in children with a CP±L from the perspective of SLPs using the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA).

Peer attitudes towards adolescents with speech disorders due to cleft lip and palate.

Background And Aims: Individuals with speech disorders are often judged more negatively than peers without speech disorders. A limited number of studies examined the attitudes of adolescents toward peers with speech disorders due to a cleft lip with or without a cleft of the palate (CL ± P). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the attitudes of peers toward the speech of adolescents with CL ± P.

Intonation Parameters in Gender Diverse People.

Objectives/hypothesis: Although intonation is often addressed in speech training for gender diverse individuals, the relationship between intonation and femininity/masculinity ratings remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine differences in intonation parameters in gender diverse individuals. Moreover, the relationship between acoustic intonation parameters and femininity/masculinity ratings was investigated.

Longitudinal Vocal Outcomes and Voice-Related Quality of Life After Selective Bilateral Laryngeal Reinnervation: A Case Study.

Purpose: Bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP) is a severe disorder that can result in respiratory, swallowing, and voice-related problems. Most surgical treatments do not restore laryngeal function and often need to compromise voice quality to preserve respiratory function. Laryngeal reinnervation (LR) may offer a solution to this problem, but literature on longitudinal outcomes of this procedure is scarce.

Short-Term Acoustic Effects of Speech Therapy in Transgender Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: This study measured and compared the acoustic short-term effects of pitch elevation training (PET) and articulation-resonance training (ART) and the combination of both programs, in transgender women.

Method: A randomized controlled study with cross-over design was used. Thirty transgender women were included and received 14 weeks of speech training.

Experiences of Transgender Women with Speech Feminization Training: A Qualitative Study.

This study investigated the experiences of transgender women after following sessions for speech feminization using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Transgender women who completed a clinical trial were invited for an interview and 12 accepted the invitation. Interviews were conducted using an interview guide and were recorded and transcribed verbatim.

EASE-NL: Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Dutch Version of the Evaluation of Ability to Sing Easily.

Objectves: The Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily (EASE) is a self-rating tool that is used to assess the singer's perceptions of the current singing voice status. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Dutch translation of the EASE.

Methods: The original version of the EASE was translated and adapted to Dutch according to the recommendations of the Quality of Life Special Interest Group - Translation and Cultural Adaptation group.

Voice Quality of Choir Singers and the Effect of a Performance on the Voice.

Background: The voice use of choir singers is understudied despite the imbalance of high vocal demands versus low vocal education, and consequently increased risk for voice problems. Also, there is a lack of information on the effects of a performance on choristers' voices. Available studies included performances of at least one hour.

Knowledge of the Voice in the Teachers' Population and their Ability to Refer Children with Voice Disorders to a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) the knowledge of primary school teachers regarding voice and voice disorders, (2) the primary school teacher's ability to identify and refer a dysphonic child to a speech-language pathologist (SLP), and (3) potential contributing factors that might affect this ability.

Method And Materials: Thirty-one primary school teachers (30 women, one man) with a mean age of 33 years (range: 22-57 years; SD: 11.1 years) were included in this study.