title: A taxonomy of voice therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Voice therapy practice and research, as in most types of rehabilitation, is currently limited by the lack of a taxonomy describing what occurs during a therapy session (with enough precision) to determine which techniques/components contribute most to treatment outcomes. To address this limitation, a classification system of voice therapy is proposed that integrates descriptions of therapeutic approaches from the clinical literature into a framework that includes relevant theoretical constructs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature searches identified existing rehabilitation taxonomies/therapy classification schemes to frame an initial taxonomic structure. An additional literature search and review of clinical documentation provided a comprehensive list of therapy tasks. The taxonomy's structure underwent several iterations to maximize accuracy, intuitive function, and theoretical underpinnings while minimizing redundancy. The taxonomy was then used to classify established voice therapy programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The taxonomy divided voice therapy into direct and indirect interventions delivered using extrinsic and/or intrinsic methods, and Venn diagrams depicted their overlapping nature. A dictionary was developed of the taxonomy's terms, and 7 established voice therapy programs were successfully classified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed taxonomy represents an important initial step toward a standardized voice therapy classification system expected to facilitate outcomes research and communication among clinical stakeholders.
authors.forename: Jarrad H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Van Stan
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Shaheen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Awan
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stemple
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hillman
mesh_terms: D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D014834:Voice Training