Services

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Voice Care & Swallowing Care

Whether your Primary Care Physician referred you, your ENT wants you to stop in, or you want to pursue a change in your life, a tempo can assess you in full. The initial evaluation allows for the most appropriate program planning and is the most important part of your journey. Options for Voice Evaluations include Laryngeal Function Studies/Aerodynamic Assessment, Acoustic Assessments, Perceptual Evaluations, and Videostroboscopy. Options for Dysphagia Evaluations include Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing FEES) test and Clinical Swallow Evaluation.

Do I need Voice Therapy?

(FAQ)

Voice therapy is intervention to teach vocal hygiene, rebalance vocal subsystems in the presence of an injury, and to prevent any further vocal injuries. Voice therapy teaches you how to produce voice in the optimum way.

If you are a professional voice user, it is important to keep your voice in good working order. Professional voice users are not just singers and actors, but auctioneers, teachers, reporters, coaches or personal trainers,  phone operators, and any other person who uses his or her voice to make a living.

You might need voice therapy if you are experiencing any of the following

  • Hoarseness that won’t go away
  • Vocal cord nodules, polyps or cysts
  • Vocal cord hemorrhage (bleeding) or scarring from past surgeries
  • Vocal Cord Dysfunction (mimics asthma and is often misdiagnosed)
  • Parkinson’s Disease, communication issues including slurred words and decreased loudness
  • A desire to change your voice to more align with your true self and gender
  • Vocal cord paralysis or paresis
  • Spasmodic Dysphonia
  • Loss in range of singing voice or other singing voice issues
  • Acid Reflux
  • Cancer of the head or neck
  • Chronic cough or clearing of the throat
  • Pain or fatigue when speaking
  • Loss of voice when speaking
  • A voice that is just not normal sounding to you or others

The American Academy of Otolaryngologists recommends that anyone experiencing vocal changes for over 2 weeks should be examined by an otolaryngologist.

A speech language pathologist with special training in voice and voice disorders will provide therapy to balance the subsystems of breathing, sound and resonation. Vocal hygiene, such as hydration and eliminating vocally traumatic behaviors, will also be addressed. Voice therapy may be appropriate for you before and after laryngeal surgery, as you will be expected to return to using your voice and pace your vocal demands accordingly. Upper body tension may also be addressed if appropriate.

Email our patient care coordinators at yzepeda@atempovoicecenter.com to get the proper paperwork for your specific issue.

Schedule by putting the Booking Fee in your cart and checking out.

Once we receive this, you may contact us at 817-262-3773 to schedule with us. You can also fax us a referral at 817-377-9901.

If you have had a voice change that has lasted longer than 2 weeks, it is recommended you receive a videostrobsocopy to better determine what the cause is.

Videostroboscopy is a slow motion video of your vocal cord tissue making sound. This is different than looking with your eye because it allows a bright light and close up view of these fine motor movements. Videostroboscopy technology uses a microphone and strobe light to better evaluate problems in the vocal cord tissue and it’s ability to create voice.

Either a rigid scope will be placed on your tongue or a flexible one in your nose. Video will be recorded of you making voice noises. This procedure does not hurt, there is no risk of bleeding, and usually lasts around 1 minute.

Kristie Knickerbocker owns and operates a tempo Voice Center and has help from Leslie Wegner. Both are licensed Speech-language pathologists in Texas who have experience treating voice, singing voice, communication deficits and gender congruence.

On our welcome page you can click on your assigned care provider to join their “virtual room.” There is no software to download, and we use doxy for end-to-end encryption so there’s no worry about privacy on the web.

In-person exams are necessary to complete a videostroboscopy or FEES exam.

Online Voice Evaluation Instructions

Hello, we’re trying our best to accommodate our patients in these difficult times and we are happy to see you virtually because there are so many benefits! Here are the instructions and a few tips to make your Telehealth Evaluation smooth and effective.

During this Evaluation we’ll have you record 4 different Audio Recordings. So, please have your phone/tablet ready on the recording feature.

Please email these recordings to info@atempovoicecenter.com. The prompt delivery of these recordings will ensure timely correspondence to your care provider and help the evaluation run smoother.

Join my mentorship program now

For SLPs, clinicians and students, now you can sign up for my 1-on-1 mentorship sessions. Each session is 60 minutes, virtual, and flexible with your schedule.

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