This study aims at featuring the dynamic vocals of dysphonic children before and after speech therapy group by assessing perceptual and acoustic voice. Participants were six children, two boys and four girls, aged between seven and ten year old with a diagnosis of functional dysphonia or functional-organo one. Children were submitted to an interview, perceptual analysis and acoustic voice before and after weekly group therapy process, which amounted to twelve sessions of forty minutes each. As therapeutic strategies we have been proposed drama activities, drawings, games, preparation of panels and vocal exercises conducted (collectively and playful). We tried to exchange experiences among group members, the joint construction of knowledge about voice production and vocal health, and through the direct performance of techniques and exercises. Data were analyzed using a significance level of 0.10. As for the roughness parameters and the overall level of dysphonia perceptual assessment, there were differences between the assessments before and after the therapy process group (p=0.024 and p=0.074, respectively). Regarding the acoustic voice analysis before and after therapy, there was no difference in fundamental frequency and vocal intensity mean (p = 0.288 and p=0.906, respectively). As for the measures of noise, jitter and shimmer, there was no difference among the initial and final evaluations (p=0.079 and p=0.046, respectively). The speech therapy group promotes changes in the dynamic vocals of dysphonic children, in relation to the perceptual and acoustic parameters.
Dysphonia; Voice Disorders; Speech Therapy; Group Practice; Child
