What we assess

Voice, cough and breathing concerns

​Southern Sydney Voice Therapy offers a Speech Pathology evaluation service for adults and children (5 + years) who are concerned about their voice, cough, breathing or other upper airway symptoms such as:
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  • ● Hoarse, breathy, or strained voice
  • ● Voice cracks or stops
  • ● Complete voice loss or whispered voice
  • ● Volume too soft
  • ● Difficulty projecting voice or being heard over background noise
  • ● Pitch is too high, too low, unstable, or monotonous
  • ● Reduced pitch or volume range
  • ● Effortful voicing
  • ● Vocal fatigue or discomfort with prolonged voice use
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  • ● Running out of breath when talking
  • ● Breathing feels like work
  • ● Sudden episodes of breathing difficulty when talking, swallowing or exercising
  • ● Noisy breathing
  • ● Difficulty breathing with a feeling of throat tightness, choking or strangulation
  • ● Abnormal sensations in the throat or neck such as irritation, pain, burning, tension, lump in the throat, or throat dryness
  • ● Frequent coughing or throat clearing

Assessment procedures

Assessment will be tailored to your needs and may include:
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  • ● Completion of several questionnaires related to your concern(s) (you will be required to complete these at home or in our waiting room area prior to the beginning of the assessment session)
  • ● Detailed discussion of your presenting concern(s)
  • ● Examination of your oral, anterior neck and/or jaw musculature​
  • ● Auditory perceptual and/or acoustic voice analysis
  • ● Breathing pattern assessment
Assessment of voice, cough, breathing and other upper airway disorders often involves a multidisciplinary approach for accurate diagnosis and effective management. Depending on your concerns, symptoms or speech pathology assessment  you might be advised to seek further assessment from another professional such as an Ear, Nose and Throat or Respiratory specialist. This is important for accurate medical diagnosis and optimal treatment planning as different conditions have unique prognoses and respond differently to various forms and combinations of treatment (e.g. speech therapy, medicine and/or, surgical management).