Middle and High School Teachers' Perceptions of Adolescent Females with a Voice Disorder: A Handicap in the Classroom

Advances in the diagnoses and treatment of pediatric voice disorders have evolved over the years, however little research has focused on the publics' perceptions of individuals with a voice disorder. Establishing a better understanding of how the public perceives those with a voice disorder may provide increased insight into how the community's views impact an individual with a voice disorder's education, social and future outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to explore middle and high school teachers' perceptions of personality traits and quality of life in female adolescents with varying degrees of voice disorders.;A web-based survey using Quesitonpro.com was created to collect data. Four voice samples, which had been previously rated by two experienced speech-language pathologists using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice, were downloaded into the survey (normal, mild, moderate, severe). Thirty-two teachers answered 25 questions per voice related to personality traits (18 attributes) and quality of life (6 questions). Analyses of variance were used to compare means with post-hoc testing, using the Dunnett test, to determine significant differences between groups. Each survey (personality traits and quality of life) was analyzed separately. Data for each survey were analyzed in the following ways: normal voice compared to combined voice disordered groups, normal compared to individual voice disorder type, and across voice disordered severity type (mild, moderate, severe).;The findings of the study indicate that personality traits and quality of life in adolescent females with moderate and severe voice disorders were rated more negatively by middle and high school teachers' than those with a normal or mild voice disorder. Importantly, the more severe the voice disorder, the more negative ratings of personality traits and quality of life became. Findings suggest that adolescent female students with a moderate and severe voice disorder have a hidden handicap and are most at risk for academic, social, and vocational difficulties stemming from ones negative perceptions. Informing teachers, speech-language pathologists, patients, and families about the subtle biases and perceptions of teachers' may improve education, social, and vocational outcomes. Furthermore, teaching self-advocacy may be necessary to help students with a voice disorder obtain an optimal educational experience.