Prevention Activities for Speech-Language Pathologists

Examples for Different Groups

Teachers

  • Collaborate with classroom teachers to identify children at risk for voice problems
  • Provide classes for teachers to educate them about typical vocal function and disorders
  • Provide lectures and discussions on healthy vocal usage in life choices and biology classes in middle and high schools
  • Expand school prevention programs to child care providers

Administrators

  • Inform school administrators about prevention efforts and activities

Parents

  • Inform parents of the their role in prevention and identification

Clients

  • Refer clients who smoke to cessation programs as part of their treatment for voice disorders
  • Refer clients with alcohol problems to alcohol treatment centers
  • Inform clients how to eliminate vocally damaging behaviors and how to avoid or limit use of the voice in unhealthy situations
  • Encourage clients to develop new ways to deal with daily tension and environmental stress
  • Encourage clients to avoid use of nonmedicinal drugs and prescription drugs (that are no longer needed)
  • Refer individuals with early warning signs of laryngeal cancer to an otolaryngologist 

General Public

  • Develop and distribute information on the vocal symptoms that are early warning signs of laryngeal cancers and on the importance of medication assessment when symptoms appear

ASHA Corporate Partners