"Voice mutation in children and adolescents".
Olga A. Tarasova
3rd year student of the faculty of preschool, primary and special education
Belgorod State National Research University,
Belgorod
Scientific supervisor
Alexander V. Markov
senior lecturer
Foreign languages department
NRU BSU
Abstract: The article reveals the concept of voice mutation considers and analyzes types of pathological voice mutations. Ways of overcoming voice mutation in children and teenagers are stated. The conclusion is made about the importance of logopedic work in the mutation period, and recommendations for overcoming voice disorders are given.
Key words: voice, mutation, intonation, timbre, articulation, sound production, dysphonia, phoniatrician, speech therapy.
The voice has an important social meaning in the development of the child, in the formation of the child as a person, in communication with peers and adults. One of the critical periods in the development and formation of the voice is the period of mutation. Mutation is a physiological process during which functional and organic dysphonia most often occurs.
Voice mutations lead to a violation of the communicative function of speech, hindering the processes of socialization, self-actualization, self-identification, and cause disorders in the emotional-volitional sphere.
The voice is an important component of speech formation, as it provides, firstly, audibility, secondly, its intonational expressiveness. Intonation has a strong effect on the listener. Thanks to it, we understand not only the words and phrases directly, but also the subtext hidden under them.
The variety of intonation is achieved by changing the pitch, strength, timbre of voice - its main acoustic characteristics. Moreover, this means that every person must learn to control his or her voice and be able to make full use of all its rich possibilities for the purposes of speech communication.
Considering the importance of the voice in the process of communication, we should not underestimate its role in transmitting intonation, which determines not only the emotional, but in many ways and the semantic side of the statement.
A healthy child learns the norm of correct pronunciation because of speech experience, gradually adapting the organs of the articulation to produce a product that corresponds to the perceived auditory patterns. Undoubtedly, the newborn's reflexive cry is the first phonation. From two to three weeks of age, the functional purpose and mode of delivery of the voice begin to change. The baby expresses through his or her voice his or her feelings of pain, hunger and any discomfort, as well as his or her need for attention.
The development of any organ of the vocal apparatus is characterized by three approximate degrees of growth - intense, normal and diminished. Their predominant influence is manifested in different periods of a child's life. The period of voice formation is conventionally divided into several stages: preschool - up to 6-7 years, pre-mutational - up to 13-14 years, mutational - 13-15 years and post-mutational - up to 17-19 years.
In pre-school children, phonation is carried out by edge tension of short thin vocal folds consisting of connective tissue and glands. From five years of age, separate bundles of vocal muscles begin to form. The voice has a high sound; its range is 5-6 notes.
During the pre-matriculation period, the receptor apparatus of the larynx is formed in parallel with the anatomical growth of the vocal organs.
By the age of 12, both the formation of the vocal muscles and the development of the laryngeal receptor apparatus are completed. Gradually, the child's voice develops; he has a gentle color and ringing. An important condition for the proper, normal development of the voice is to use it within the age range. This applies to both singing and speaking.
Voice mutation is a physiological phenomenon that occurs during puberty and is associated with the transformation of the infant voice into the adult voice. The concept of "mutation" or "voice breakage" refers to its age-related physiological changes. This condition is typical of both adolescent girls and boys. The age range of the mutation period is 13-15 years old. Normally, the transformation of the child's voice into an adult voice takes from 6 months to 1 year. If the timing, pace, or distortion of the dynamics of age-related voice changes is disturbed, we speak of mutational dysphonia. Pathological mutation occurs more often in boys, it is explained by the influence of male sex hormones on the growth and development of the larynx.
Mutational dysphonia can develop according to different scenarios. Depending on the timing of onset and peculiarities of the course, the following types of pathological mutation are distinguished:
1) Premature. The change of the child's voice to the adult voice occurs before the age of 8-10 years. Early mutation is associated with premature sexual development.
2) Late. Starts two or more years after the normal mutation. In this case, the size of the larynx corresponds to adult parameters, but the voice remains childlike.
3) Delayed. Despite the normal pubertal period, the transformation of the timbre does not occur. The adult male continues to speak in a high, sometimes squeaky voice. The reason for such mutational dysphonia is the lack of coordination between breathing and vibration of the vocal folds.
Boys sometimes have tight breathing, as the vocal folds are incomplete and to produce a sound of full force exhalation muscles to work hard, forcefully.
In girls, the timbre, strength, and voice also change, but without dramatic changes. The change is expressed in the rapid fatigue of the voice, the range does not undergo major changes. The voice acquires a thoracic sound, and becomes stronger.
A normal voice mutation can appear in several forms. Thus, the voice often changes very slowly, unnoticed both for the children themselves and for others; rarely, only slight hoarseness and rapid fatigue of the voice are observed. In other cases (which is more common), the boy's voice during speech or singing begins to break up; there are low notes of the bass tone. This "popping" of sounds at first occurs more and more often, then appears less often, and finally the child's timbre is replaced by a masculine one.
After a period of mutation, the voice regains its individuality and remains unchanged for 25-30 years. With age, atrophic changes in the vocal organs begin, and the voice becomes weaker and its timbre changes.
Examination of patients with voice disorders has a complex medical and pedagogical character. It necessarily involves otolaryngologist, neurologist, speech therapist (phoniatrician), and psychologist. The main task of the examination is to find out the cause and mechanism of the voice disorder and, based on this, to determine the most rational ways of corrective action. The initial step is always a psychotherapeutic conversation, the main goal of which is to convince the child of the possibility of voice restoration, to establish contact with them, to include them in active work, explaining the goals and objectives of correction.
During collection of the anamnesis, the duration and specifics of the earliest manifestations of vocal disorders are found out especially thoroughly, as well as the nature of their further course. The latter is more typical for functional voice disorders. The larynx and vocal cords are examined obligatorily using a special laryngeal mirror (laryngoscope), as well as the hearing examination. Possible deviations in the emotional-volitional sphere, adequacy of his/her attitude to the existing voice disorders and the possibility of overcoming them are revealed.
The main task of logopedic work in the restoration of functional disorders of the voice is overcoming the fixed pathological reflex of voice formation. Demonstration of tape recordings of children's voices before and after treatment, personal meetings and conversations with children who have already completed a course of speech therapy sessions can be of great importance. If necessary, general reinforcing treatment is carried out, designed, among other things, to strengthen the patient's nervous system, since the condition of the latter has a great influence on the overall effectiveness of the speech therapy work. Talks are followed by silence for 10-14 days, after which corrective speech therapy sessions are started. They include articulation and breathing exercises and vocal exercises, as well as therapeutic physical training.
To prevent vocal disorders, it is necessary to protect the child's voice at a preschool age, not allowing children to speak too loudly, shouting, not allowing them to sing very loudly, shouting in the cold during walks, etc.
The period of voice formation requires attentive, sensitive, attitude on the part of teachers and parents, because puberty period proceeds against the background of physical and mental changes in the teenager's personality. If frequent voice breakdowns and unpleasant sensations during phonation are observed, it is necessary to see a phoniatrist. Persons whose profession requires a long vocal load are recommended a special setting of the voice, which protects against overwork.
It is very important to detect and correct a speech disorder in a timely manner. Be sure to bring the child's speech to normal from the very beginning, so that nothing will interfere with him to fully learn, work and live.
After all, a healthy voice of the child - is the key to its successful development, education and training.
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