Voice and Communication Change for Gender Nonconforming Individuals: Giving Voice to the Person Inside

ABSTRACT

In the seventh version of their Standards of Care, WPATH recognizes that, as each person is unique, so is the person's gender identity. The goal of speech-language therapists/pathologists is to help transgender people develop voice and communication that reflects their unique sense of gender. When outer expression is congruent with an inner sense of self, transgender people may find increased comfort, confidence, and improved function in everyday life. Transgender voice and communication is a relatively new area of practice within speech-language pathology/therapy and this document is intended to support clinicians and researchers working in this field. It begins with a review of the evidence-based literature in transgender voice and communication. The paper then discusses these clinical topics: trans-specific voice-and-communication assessment, voice feminization protocols and voice feminizing surgeries. There is also a section on speech and voice masculinization—an area that has received little previous attention. As minimal standards have yet to be established in this field the paper concludes with recommendations for good clinical care.

KEYWORDS:

• Communication
• transgender
• voice

Acknowledgments

This article was written by Shelagh Davies, Viktória G. Papp (female-to-male considerations), and Christella Antoni and Shelagh Davies (phonosurgery), with research assistance provided by Charlotte Beck and Leah McKeil; content editing by Viktória G. Papp with contributions by Jennifer Oates, Richard Adler, and Colin Davies Contributions from: Joshua Goldberg and Judith Johnston Final formatting and copy editing of document: Viktória G. Papp.

Funding

Preparation of this document was generously supported by a grant to Shelagh Davies from the Transgender Health Information Program of British Columbia, Canada.

Notes

1. For the rest of the document we will use speech-language therapist (SLT) and clinician as umbrella terms for speech-language therapists and pathologists. Other speech and voice specialists, such as singing teachers and speaking voice trainers may also be involved in discrete areas of the voice and communication needs of the transgender population.

2. The sections “Presurgical Assessment,” “Postsurgical Care” to “Voice Feminization Surgeries” were reproduced from Davies and Goldberg (2006b).