French-speaking therapists caring for singing-voice disorders and their clinical practice

Introduction: Singing-voice therapy by Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) is the main treatment for singing-voice disorders. Who are the SLTs who treat singing-voice disorders? Who are their patients? What clinical tools do they use? This study answers these three questions through a survey conducted in the French-speaking clinical community.

Method: 112 French-speaking SLTs responded to an open-ended survey. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were carried out, together with a comparison with existing voice therapy taxonomies.

Results: Most of the SLTs who work with singers are musicians. They have received cross-disciplinary training from health professionals, singing teachers and voice pedagogues, and teachers of mind-body techniques. Most of them use the term "dysodia" to refer to singing-voice disorders. Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises constitute their primary clinical tool. Indirect therapy is significantly less common than direct therapy. SLTs work significantly less on the musculoskeletal system than on the other systems (respiratory, auditory, somatosensory and vocal function). Their patients are mainly amateur singers of all styles.

Conclusions: This study provides a first structured overview of singing-voice therapy practices among French-speaking SLTs. It highlights clinical practices and tools consistent with recommendations in the literature. It lays the groundwork for future research on these specific therapeutic practices, as well as for the development of clinical guidelines, strengthened interprofessional collaboration, and international standardisation. The issue of therapeutic dosage has yet to be addressed. The predominance of amateur singers among singer-patients confirms the need for prevention.