SLP Toolkit: 7 Everyday Tools for Voice Therapy Exercises

Empowering clients to improve their vocal health doesn’t require a clinic filled with specialized equipment or expensive tools. Instead, speech-language pathologists can rely on creative and resourceful voice therapy exercises that transform everyday household items into effective tools for therapy.

These simple yet powerful approaches engage clients and encourage consistent practice, making therapy both accessible and impactful. By equipping clients with tools they can use outside sessions, you can help bridge the gap between therapy and everyday life.

In this article, we’ll explore seven creative ways to use household items in voice therapy exercises, tackle common challenges clients may face, and emphasize the importance of collaboration with medical professionals for optimal outcomes.

Creative voice therapy exercises using everyday items

Each technique discussed below integrates simple household items into voice therapy exercises to enhance vocal function. These strategies are practical, easy to integrate into daily life, and highly adaptable to individual client needs.

1. Deep breathing with resistance

• Tool: Balloon.
• Why it works: The resistance from the balloon provides biofeedback, engages the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, and encourages proper breath support for phonation.
• Application: Guide clients to inflate a balloon, focusing on slow, controlled diaphragmatic breaths. Encourage them to maintain relaxed shoulders and avoid shallow chest breathing. Be sure to check whether a client has a latex allergy before introducing a balloon.
• Pro tip: For clients with limited lung capacity, start with smaller balloons or use a pinwheel as a lower-resistance alternative. Gradually increase difficulty to build breath control and stamina.

2. Flow phonation practice

• Tool: Tissue paper.
• Why it works: This technique encourages smooth airflow, a key component of efficient voice production. The tissue provides visual feedback, helping clients sustain consistent airflow and reduce vocal strain.
• Application: Instruct clients to hold a tissue paper strip lightly in front of their mouth and sustain a gentle /s/ sound. The goal is to create a steady flutter in the tissue without abrupt movements.
• Pro tip: Adjust the length or weight of the tissue to modify sensitivity. For added engagement, clients can aim to keep the tissue steady for progressively longer intervals.

3. Semi occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVT)

• Tool: Straw and water.
• Why it works: The water resistance acts as a form of SOVT, promoting vocal fold coordination, reducing phonation threshold pressure, and alleviating strain.
• Application: Encourage clients to hum into a straw while gently blowing bubbles in a glass of water. Emphasize steady airflow and smooth, effortless humming. Remind them not to force the sound or airflow to prevent tension.
• Pro tip: Use straws of varying diameters to adjust resistance. A wider straw may be more suitable for beginners, while a narrower straw offers increased resistance for advanced practice.

4. Postural awareness and tension reduction

• Tool: Mirror.
• Why it works: Proper posture minimizes tension in the larynx and surrounding muscles, optimizing vocal fold function and breathing mechanics.
• Application: Ask clients to practice in front of a mirror, observing their posture for relaxed shoulders, a lifted sternum, and a neutral head position. Pair this with gentle shoulder rolls or neck stretches to release tension.
• Pro tip: Use tactile feedback, such as placing a hand on the sternum, to help clients feel and maintain the correct posture during practice. Always obtain the client’s consent before using tactile feedback techniques.

5. Self-assessment and progress monitoring

• Tool: Smartphone recorder.
• Why it works: Recording sessions allow clients to self-assess and identify areas for improvement, fostering self-awareness and ownership of their progress.
• Application: Encourage clients to use their smartphone to record specific exercises, singing, or speaking tasks. Reviewing playbacks helps them recognize patterns such as tension, breathiness, or improved clarity.
• Pro tip: Provide clients with specific prompts, such as reading a short poem or reciting a favorite quote, to track changes in clarity or vocal quality over time.

6. Technology-assisted practice

• Tools: Piano apps, decibel meters, pitch analyzers.
• Why it works: Technology adds an element of measurement and engagement, allowing clients to track progress and refine their vocal techniques.
• Application: Suggest clients explore piano apps for practicing scales and warm-ups, decibel meters to monitor vocal hygiene, and pitch analyzers to refine pitch accuracy during exercises.
• Pro Tip: Suggest apps with user-friendly interfaces to minimize frustration. Gamified apps can further boost motivation by turning practice into an enjoyable challenge.

7. Topical hydration with steam

• Tool: Hot water and mug.
• Why it works: Inhaling steam provides temporary topical hydration to the vocal folds, soothing irritation and reducing dryness.
• Application: Instruct clients to inhale steam from a mug of hot water, ensuring they maintain a safe distance to avoid burns. This technique is beneficial before performances or during periods of dryness.
• Pro tip: Combine this with vocal rest and adequate water intake to ensure comprehensive hydration. Always remind clients to exercise caution when handling hot water.

Common challenges and how to address them

In voice therapy, clients often encounter unique challenges as they adapt and incorporate new techniques into their daily lives. While these obstacles can vary, addressing them effectively is essential for encouraging progress and sustaining motivation. Here are some common challenges you may face with clients and strategies to overcome them:

Building confidence with new techniques

Some clients may feel unsure about using tools, like balloons or straws, in unconventional voice therapy exercises. It’s not the tools themselves that are unfamiliar but the innovative ways they’re being introduced. This hesitation is particularly common among clients new to therapy or those who’ve had difficulties achieving vocal improvement.

To address this, you can focus on gradual skill-building. Start with easier exercises, like tissue paper flow phonation, before introducing more challenging techniques. Demonstrating the voice therapy exercises during sessions and offering real-time feedback can reassure clients and reinforce the correct technique. It’s also helpful to normalize the learning curve, emphasizing that improvement takes time and consistent practice. By celebrating small wins, such as improved airflow or reduced tension, clients can gain confidence and motivation to continue.

Maintaining consistency at home

Incorporating voice therapy exercises into daily routines can be a challenge for many clients, especially if the activities feel disruptive or overly time-consuming. This difficulty often results in inconsistent practice, slowing progress, and diminishing outcomes.

To help clients maintain consistency, encourage them to integrate voice therapy exercises into their habits. For instance, they can blow bubbles with a straw during a work break or practice tissue paper flow phonation while relaxing at home. Providing clear, written instructions or short video demonstrations ensures clients feel equipped to practice independently. Reinforce accountability with regular check-ins during therapy sessions to review progress and troubleshoot any challenges. Encouraging clients to set achievable goals, such as practicing for five minutes daily, can make the task less daunting.

Overcoming physical fatigue and strain

Vocal exercises, while beneficial, may lead to physical fatigue if overused, especially for clients recovering from vocal fold injuries or who rely heavily on their voice professionally. You can mitigate this by emphasizing the importance of pacing. Incorporate rest periods into practice routines, allowing the voice to recover.

Vary the voice therapy exercises to reduce strain on any aspect of the vocal mechanism, such as alternating between breathing drills and posture work. Educating clients about vocal hygiene, such as staying hydrated and avoiding vocal overuse, complements their therapy and helps prevent setbacks.

Why a team approach matters in voice therapy

While household tools can be transformative for voice therapy, they are most effective when integrated into a holistic treatment plan. Collaboration with referring physicians, otolaryngologists (ENTs), or laryngologists ensures that all aspects of a client’s vocal health are addressed, from medical conditions to therapeutic interventions.

SLPs benefit from insights into the client’s medical history, including diagnostic findings like vocal fold nodules or inflammation, which can guide therapy choices. This collaborative approach tailors treatment to the individual, creating a plan that balances therapeutic exercises with medical recommendations. Additionally, clients gain a comprehensive care team that supports their vocal health from multiple angles, ensuring that exercises complement broader treatment goals and lead to sustainable improvement.

Practical solutions for lasting vocal health

By creatively incorporating household tools into voice therapy exercises, you can prepare clients to take charge of their vocal health in accessible, engaging ways. These simple techniques, paired with a collaborative approach involving medical professionals, provide a comprehensive framework for achieving sustainable improvement. As an SLP, your guidance helps clients build confidence, maintain consistency, and overcome challenges, ensuring progress that extends far beyond the clinic. With the right tools and teamwork, you can make a lasting impact on your clients’ vocal wellness.