Chelsea Osei

When most people think about their voice, they tend to focus on the sound that comes out of their mouth. They might notice the pitch of their voice, whether it is high or low. They might notice the loudness, whether they are speaking softly or projecting strongly. But there is another important quality of the voice that often goes unnoticed until something feels “off.” This quality is called vocal resonance.

Your accent is a reflection of your identity, culture and personal history and deserves to be respected and valued. In this article, you’ll learn what accent modification actually is, the ethics behind it and what success actually looks like.

Apraxia of speech involves inconsistent errors and difficulty coordinating the precise  movements needed for speaking, even when the person knows exactly what they want to say.  On the other hand, misarticulation leads to predictable, repeated mistakes in producing specific  sounds. These differences matter because they require distinct approaches to assessment and  therapy.

Often I have clients telling me they feel like they have a lump in their throat or they are out of breath when speaking, and this is most often the cause of tension due to anxiety. But the good news is these voice symptoms that appear can be managed with the proper tools and techniques.

When someone you love is working on their speech, whether it is their voice, fluency, articulation, or any other aspect of communication, it can be hard to know exactly how to help. You may feel unsure about what to say. You might even feel nervous about making things worse. That is totally understandable, since watching someone you care about go through a vulnerable process like speech therapy can bring up questions you did not expect to have.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts the brain’s normal function due to a sudden external force, often caused by accidents, falls, sports injuries, or assaults. Depending on the severity, TBI can range from a mild concussion to long-term impairment or coma. One of the most profound yet often overlooked consequences of TBI is its impact on speech and communication. 

Definitions, language and common beliefs around stuttering, albeit helpful at times, may also be harmful and limiting. This article aims to give voice to stuttering-inclusive and empowering language and challenge outdated notions and stigma surrounding fluency. This article is for anyone impacted by stuttering: individuals who stutter, their listeners, and the professionals who support them.

Modifying your accent and achieving noticeable results is absolutely possible. While it may feel like a lengthy process, with motivation and consistent practice, meaningful changes can be made. If you're looking to improve your accent to boost confidence or increase clarity, speech therapy can provide the tools and guidance to help you reach your goals.

Breathing is something we do without thinking. Most adults take between 12-20 breaths per minute, which translates to over 20,000 times a day. But when we begin to pay attention to how we breathe, we can discover powerful tools for improving our voice and calming our nervous system.

It is important to have good communication skills for building and maintaining relationships, participating in social and academic settings, and navigating professional environments. In social situations, communication involves more than vocabulary and sentence structure; it encompasses how language is used in context — how individuals initiate, maintain, and end interactions, interpret verbal and nonverbal cues, and adjust their communication based on the listener and setting.