Month: January 2021

By Vincent M. DelGiudice, M.S.CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Here at Vegas Voice Institute, our team of Speech Pathologists has been serving the Greater Las Vegas area since 2003. As speech pathologists we serve a variety of patients. As the name of our business suggests, we treat and educate those in the community who have been affected with voice disorders. But that is not where we stop. Our team of speech pathologists is trained to treat disorders that affect your swallowing, speech, ability to communicate with others, and memory.

At our clinic, we are equipped to perform most of our assessments right in the office. If you are having difficulty with swallowing, we can provide a dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) assessment right here in our office. When a patient comes to us with a voice disorder, we are able to perform a Stroboscopy right in our office as well. A Stroboscopy is an assessment of your vocal cords. Your vocal cords move so fast that we need a strobe light to slow down the movement of your vocal cords to assess what is causing your voice disorder.

Vegas Voice Institute treats all kinds of voice disorders including hoarseness, vocal nodules, muscle tension, quiet or weak voices and vocal cord dysfunction. But we don’t just treat singers with voice disorders. We treat all professional voice users, including teachers, preachers, real estate agents, attorneys, coaches and more recently, all professionals who have begun working remotely. But professional voice users aren’t the only people who have difficulty with their voice. As you get older, it is possible that your vocal cords and voice may weaken and people can have difficulty hearing you. At Vegas Voice Institute we feel it is of the utmost importance to used research-based therapeutic approaches. This means that the therapy has been researched over and over again before we try it out on you. For example, if you have a weak voice, we may use the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment or PhoRTE voice treatment because they are some of the most well researched types of therapy available. That means we know it works.

Vegas Voice Institute can provide you with therapy and exercises to help you improve your ability to communicate whether you are singing on the Las Vegas Strip or you just want to be able to hear your husband from across the room. Feel free to click on the Services tab to discover the therapeutic approaches we use for voice therapy.

Unfortunately, your voice isn’t the only thing that can cause problems with communication. There are a LOT of reasons you may have difficulty with communication. Have you had as stroke? Do you know someone who has suffered from a stroke? At Vegas Voice Institute we treat neurological disorders with different therapeutic approaches to improve language, memory, processing, and speech. These disorders can be caused by a stroke, or other diseases such as dementia, aphasia, brain injuries, and brain tumors.

Although there are certain deficits that may be progressive or permanent, our team is always willing to work with patients and family to find the best ways for you to communicate.

Vegas Voice Institute proudly serves the community of Las Vegas. We appreciate all of our patients, as we feel it is a privilege to have been treating patients here since 2003.

By Kyle Traux, M.S.CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist

A common problem for people with aphasia and their caregivers is how to find opportunities to safely practice communication during the time of COVID-19. In normal times, getting this would be relatively effortless: one would have the option of moving freely around one’s environment engaging others at will or joining social groups. For those less outgoing or not quite ready to strike up conversations with strangers or even place an order at a restaurant, there are groups one can join made up of individuals who share similar experiences with language loss and rehabilitation. But with so many of these avenues temporarily blocked because of restrictions on social gathering, what can one do?

We at Vegas Voice Institute would like to help you find some options for increasing communication and language opportunities:

• Chat on the phone or on-line- Communication with friends and family often allows for a less stressful and/or overwhelming experience as these tend to be people who are familiar with your difficulties with communication and can help support the conversation. Schedule recurring phone ‘dates’ with friends and family and use scripts or talking points to aid the conversation.
• Practice with Apps- A variety of apps are tailor made for aphasia and offer a wide variety of skills to target. These apps are designed with the person with aphasia in mind and are thus user friendly. Check in with your Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) for advice on selecting apps to supplement speech therapy.
• Join virtual groups- A few aphasia groups have moved online due to social restrictions. While it may not be the ideal way to satisfy our social needs, it may just be the best option we have for now. Check out Aphasia Recovery Connection on Facebook.
• Write, Read and Listen- Pick up a pen and write a letter, keep a journal or practice writing something from memory, such as the Pledge of Allegiance. Try listening: Tune in to an audio book or browse the seemingly infinite library of podcasts.
• Dust off a favorite book: If your favorite author now appears too complex, pick up a magazine or even a book targeted toward younger readers. You may find support in aphasia friendly material. Check out this news site: http://talkpathnews.aphasia.com/
• Ask your SLP for some home practice- If motivation is a problem, request that your SLP give you some home practice. Your SLP will be able to provide tasks that are specific to your area(s) of need.

Though current conditions prevent us from seizing the most optimal rehabilitative opportunities, we don’t have to remain silent. Be creative and take opportunities like welcoming a new neighbor from a safe distance, ordering at the drive thru window or asking the stocker at the grocery store when they expect more toilet paper. Your recovery is not yours to face alone, but it will likely require some initiative. So try something new.

If you or your loved one doesn’t currently have a Speech Language Pathologist to work with, contact us at Vegas Voice Institute and we can guide you through the steps needed to get the support that you need to begin or resume your rehabilitation.