Unit rationale, description and aim
For most people, voice is an important means by which we communicate. Voice disorders can impact communication and reduce a person’s ability to participate in activities within their community. In order to promote voice health and address the communication needs of people with voice disorders, speech pathologists need to be able to understand and diagnose the range of voice disorders, and provide appropriate intervention to enable participation of individuals within their communities. In this unit, students will develop an understanding of evidence-based approaches to the assessment and management of voice disorders. Students will review underlying anatomy, physiology and neurology with reference to vocal function. Skills in the perception and analysis of normal versus disordered voice will be developed as a basis for management. Consideration will be given to the functional impairments and activity limitations resulting from voice disorders and how these may impact on an individual and their quality of life. Students will learn to apply voice therapy techniques to the treatment of voice disorders as well as health promotion strategies for those at risk of vocal damage.
This unit provides a theoretical base, and opportunities to apply knowledge in practical activities, to ensure successful preparation for future professional practice in the practice area of voice. The overall aim of this unit is for students to become competent in assessment, intervention and support so as to enable individual participation and enhance quality of life for a diverse range of individuals with voice disorders.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Demonstrate knowledge of voice disorders through d...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse and interpret assessment information to ac...
Learning Outcome 02
Formulate and justify person -centred, culturally-...
Learning Outcome 03
Demonstrate technical skills required to deliver a...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Background to voice disorders
- Contexts of clinical practice
- Working within the multidisciplinary team
- Understanding the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) when applied to the assessment and management of voice disorders across the lifespan
The normal and disordered voice
- Application of anatomy, physiology and neurology to the production of voice across the lifespan
- Understanding the acoustics of voice production
- Understanding voice function and disorders across the lifespan
- Congenital voice disorders, vocal cord pathology, common medical conditions, functional neurological voice disorders, neurological voice disorders, the aging voice
Assessment of the voice
- Understanding the referral information
- Taking a case history for different voice disordered populations
- Developing perceptual rating skills and undertaking an auditory-perceptual voice evaluation
- Developing skills in undertaking an acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessment
- Analysing the results of voice assessment tasks and interpreting them against normative data
- Understanding the medical and/or multidisciplinary team assessment and results
- Integration of assessment findings and evidence to support the management of voice disorders across the lifespan
Management of Voice Disorders: an evidence-based perspective
- Speech Pathology Management of Voice Disorders
- Evidence-based approaches to vocal care
- Developing skills in voice therapy techniques
- Selecting vocal techniques for specific voice disorders
- Understanding the complexities of voice management: compliance, motivation, education and counselling
- Measuring the outcome of intervention
- Medical and surgical management of Voice Disorders
- Management of common medical conditions underlying voice disorders.
- Specific populations
- Working with professional voice users
- Prevention of Voice Disorders – promoting healthy voice use in at-risk populations
- ·Paediatric Voice Disorders and their management
- Gender affirming voice and communication training
- Head and Neck Cancer and Laryngectomy
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome, and in turn to develop entry level professional competencies essential to the Speech Pathology Profession (CBOS, 2011). Assessments are varied, and include case-based formats requiring students to respond in professional written and oral communication contexts, and a series of quizzes.
The hurdle task requires students to undertake perceptual ratings of voice disorders using a clinical assessment tool (GRBAS). Students are expected to demonstrate entry level skills (i.e. within 1 rating of consensus rating). This task reflects an authentic clinical activity and enables a whole-of-cohort evaluation of their skills in assessing voice disorders. This assessment must be passed for students to pass the unit.
Assessment 1 (Quizzes) will assess students’ acquisition of theoretical content relating to assessment, diagnosis and intervention planning (LO1, LO2, LO3).
Assessment 2 is a case study that will enable students to apply their knowledge to the assessment, diagnosis and intervention planning relating to a client’s condition (LO1, LO2 and LO3). This assessment combines analysis, synthesis and application of knowledge in a case based-clinical context and allows students to make a connection between theory and clinical practice.
Assessment 3 is a simulation which will provide students with the opportunity to discuss and demonstrate their intervention planning (LO3) and the technical skills required for intervention (LO4). The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to meet the unit learning outcomes and to develop graduate attributes consistent with ACU assessment requirements. As the final assessment is the only task to assess student’s achievement of LO4 in this unit (and therefore demonstrate technical skills required for clinical practice), it is a hurdle task and must be passed in order for students to pass the unit.
Overview of assessments
Perceptual Rating Students complete perceptual r...
Perceptual Rating
Students complete perceptual ratings of audio samples presenting different voice disorders
Ungraded Hurdle
Assessment 1: Quizzes Establishes students’ know...
Assessment 1: Quizzes
Establishes students’ knowledge of unit content for Speech Pathology Australia range of practice area of Voice
10%
Assessment 2 (Case study): Enables students to ...
Assessment 2 (Case study):
Enables students to analyse and clinically respond to a voice case study
45%
Assessment 3 (Simulation): Enables students to ...
Assessment 3 (Simulation):
Enables students to complete a simulated case assessment
45%
Graded Hurdle
In order to pass this unit students must:
- Demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome, and
- Obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit, and
- Achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 3 which is a graded hurdle, and
- Achieve a pass in the ungraded hurdle.
Where students achieve a cumulative mark of 50% or more for the unit, overall, but do not achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 3 they will be offered one further attempt in Assessment 3. If students pass this further attempt, they will pass the unit and their original mark will be the final mark. If students fail the further assessment, they will fail the unit. Students who fail the ungraded hurdle will be offered a further attempt. The scaffolded assessment strategy in this unit is designed to enable students to demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. Teaching and learning strategies include lectures, skills classes (tutorials), and critical thinking activities. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities. A mix of online lecture content and hands on tutorials has been chosen for this unit as it combines modes of learning that enable the integration of the best aspects of face-to-face, group work and online activities.
Lectures will occur prior to weekly face-to-face skills classes to enable students to prepare adequately for face-to-face skills classes. In this way, students are familiar with important concepts and can explore and consolidate these in a more applied way within class/tutorial time.
Emphasis will be placed on consolidating key, fundamental concepts and exploring application to practice through discussion, discipline-specific case studies and peer simulation. Learning activities will involve mostly small group work and whole class activities with a focus on inquiry-based learning.
Skills classes will focus on the practice of clinical skills and reasoning required to treat voice disorders. Successful participation in skills class activities is dependent on student preparation; therefore it is expected that the lecture materials, pre-reading and any prescribed tasks will be completed prior to skills classes.