Before Your Child's Visit to the Voice, Resonance, and Swallowing Center
If a doctor referred your child to us, we'll call you once we receive it and book an appointment. You can also make your child's appointment at the Voice, Resonance, and Swallowing Center by calling 412-692-5460.
Before your visit, we'll call and ask you about your child's symptoms and past medical care.
If your child has swallowing issues, we may ask you to bring food or drinks that your child likes. This will be helpful for a swallowing test.
We accept most health insurance plans at UPMC Children's Hospital.
At times, we may ask your health plan to approve your child's visit ahead of time. This is to make sure they'll cover your child's care and help avoid issues when you arrive.
Plan to get to the center 20 minutes before your visit so you have ample time to park and find us.
During Your Child's Voice, Resonance, and Swallowing Center Visit
Your child's visit will often start with the ENT doctor who will:
- Review your child's symptoms.
- Ask about any past treatments of your child's symptoms.
- Ask about emotional or lifestyle factors that affect your child's voice.
The doctor will then look at your child's nasal passage and throat using a flexible scope with a camera to look for:
- Any structural issues.
- Muscle movement.
- Lesions or other problems.
Your child won't need anesthesia for this test, and the doctor does it right in the center.
In some cases, the doctor will order a biopsy to take a small sample of your child's throat tissue for testing.
To avoid any pain from a biopsy, your child will be under general anesthesia. The doctor does this test in the OR on the same day or at a later date, based on availability.
Testing for voice and resonance conditions
Next, your child will meet with the speech therapist.
If your child has a voice or resonance condition, the speech therapist will:
- Use computer technology to assess pitch and loudness.
- Suggest a soft mask device that records the airflow and air pressure while they talk.
- Touch your child's head and neck as they speak to feel how the muscles are moving.
These tests help the speech therapist better learn your child's challenges and cater treatment techniques to your child.
Testing for swallowing conditions
If your child has swallowing issues, the speech therapist may want to do a feeding assessment. Your child will eat and drink as the therapist looks for signs of a swallowing disorder.
As a center that cares solely for children, we do all tests in a kid-friendly manner. We're sensitive to the unique needs of children and their families.
Your child's care team may share the diagnosis and treatment options with you in the first visit. Or they may want to do further testing, or try out a treatment for a suspected diagnosis.
After Your Child's Visit to the Voice, Resonance, and Swallowing Center
Sometimes your child will need advanced imaging or another test that we can't do on the same day. In this case, we'll ask you to come back to the center for your child's test soon after the first appointment.
Before your test date, we'll give you details about what your child can eat and drink the day of the test.
Depending on your child's diagnosis, we may suggest medicine, surgery, or speech therapy.
We often use more than one treatment for a better outcome for your child.
We'll continue to check on your child to make sure the treatments work as expected and address any issues or concerns.
As many families travel to see us, we'll work to combine our services you need for added convenience.
