Development of a minimum protocol for assessment in the paediatric voice clinic. Part 1: Evaluating vocal function

Abstract

The European Laryngological Society (ELS) recommend that functional assessment of voice disorder in adults requires evaluation of a number of different parameters. The current paper presents a discussion of four of the five parameters highlighted in the ELS protocol: perceptual evaluation of voice, videostroboscopic examination, evaluation of aerodynamic performance in voice, and acoustic analysis. Subjective rating of voice in children is explored in a companion paper. These parameters have been extensively evaluated in adults, and a review of the literature pertaining to the paediatric population is presented.

Key words::

• Acoustic analysis
• aerodynamic measurement
• children
• ELS recommendation
• perceptual evaluation
• videostroboscopy
• voice evaluation

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Amanda Wardrop for her assistance in preparing this manuscript and the helpful suggestions from the anonymous reviewers in revising this manuscript.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.