Alaryngeal voice—producing voice without a larynx (voice box), such as after having the larynx surgically removed due to cancer treatment.

Aphasia—difficulty thinking of words to say or difficulty understanding spoken words due to brain damage

Apraxia—difficulty producing words or sentences due to brain damage

Articulation disorder—difficulty producing speech sounds.

Articulation test - an evaluation of speech production in which the individual sounds of speech are evaluated for accuracy and quality of production.

Cleft lip and palate—A birth defect in which the lip and/or palate have failed to properly fuse during development prior to birth.

Cognition—Ones ability to understand, reason and remember.  May be impaired due to head trauma, stroke or disease affecting the brain.

Dysarthria—Slow, abnormal sounding speech due to impairment of the parts of the brain, that controls muscles important for speech.

Electrolarynx—a small electronic device that produces sound that may be used as a substitute for voice after having the a laryngectomy (surgical removal of the voice box).

Hypernasal speech—the perception of excessive nasal quality during speech

Language disorder—difficulty putting words together due to an inability to apply the rules of language, or difficulty understanding speech due to difficulty applying the rules of language.

Language test—an evaluation of language which considers the ability to correctly use the rules of language to produce or understand speech.

Language therapy —an organized program designed by a licensed speech pathologist to help an individual learn or relearn how to use the rules of language to produce or understand speech.

Laryngeal function studies—Procedures that involve measurement of sound or air pressure during speech or voice production for the purpose of evaluating voice disorders.

Laryngectomy—surgical removal of the voice box.

Nasal function studies—Procedures that involve measurement of sound or air pressure during speech or voice production for the purpose of evaluation hypernasal speech.

Nasendoscopy—an evaluation in which a flexible scope is used to visualize the movements of the palate, throat, or voice box during speech or swallowing.

Nasometry—one type of device used to measure the intensity of nasal resonance during speech.

Oropharyngeal motility study (OPMS)—the use of videofluoroscopy in the evaluation of swallowing. Sometimes referred to as modified barium swallow or cookie swallow.

Parkinson's disease —a progressive brain disease resulting in difficulty producing speech.

Speech disorder —any problem with speech, voice or language that calls negative attention to itself.

Speech therapy—an organized program designed by a licensed speech pathologist to help an individual learn or relearn how to produce more normal sounding speech.

Stroke—bleeding within the brain resulting in damage to brain cells

Swallowing therapy—an organized program designed by a licensed speech pathologist to help an individual learn or relearn how to produce more normal sounding voice.

Therapy—an organized program in which a person meets regularly with a speech, language, or swallowing disorder meets with a licensed speech pathologist for the purpose of improving the persons ability to produce speech, use language, or swallow safely.

Videofluoroscopy—a motion picture x-ray procedure recorded in video format, frequently used for evaluation of swallowing or speech.

Videostroboscopy—an evaluation of voice in which video images of the vocal folds are recorded during voice production.

Voice disorder—a change in voice quality that calls negative attention to itself and that persists beyond two weeks

Voice therapy —an organized program designed by a licensed speech pathologist to help an individual learn or relearn how to produce more normal sounding voice.