Voice and Swallow Program

For patients with complex voice and swallowing disorders, the Pediatric Voice and Swallowing Clinic, directed by Doug Sidell, MD, FAAP, and April Johnson, MA, CCC-SLP, is one of the most advanced multidisciplinary clinics in California. Solely dedicated to the comprehensive evaluation of pediatric voice and swallow function, otolaryngologists and speech pathologists in this clinic use modern techniques and state-of-the-art software to analyze the pediatric voice and to diagnose and treat your child’s condition. Rigid and flexible stroboscopy and endoscopic swallow evaluations are performed, providing objective data to enhance the ability for each patient to obtain an accurate diagnosis and to monitor progress surrounding surgical and non-surgical therapy. This allows us to better establish future treatment goals that are individualized to your child’s needs.

What to expect

During the clinic visit, you will be asked a series of questions by your pediatric Otolaryngologist and Speech-Language Pathologist. Depending on your child’s condition, one or two studies may be performed. For children with swallowing concerns, a FEES (Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing) will be performed to evaluate swallow function. For voice concerns, a laryngeal stroboscopy may be performed to evaluate vocal cord function. During the stroboscopy, a small high-definition camera is inserted through the nose or in the mouth to view the voice box and throat. The patient and family will be able to see the exam on a video screen and watch the motion of the vocal cords. The goal of our clinic visit is to ensure a well-informed discussion and diagnosis of your child’s condition so you and your child will be fully prepared to pursue a successful course of treatment.