Example timeline

This section provides an example outline of a complete course delivery schedule and suggestions for follow-up actions to be taken, and when, subsequent to clients completing the course. Clearly, local circumstances may necessitate varying this schedule to suit one’s own situation.

Weeks 1-3

It is necessary to emphasize throughout the delivery of this course that it will take time for clients to transfer the skills learnt in the sessions to everyday environments. Clients need to understand that there is no ‘quick fix’. A typical guide is that clients will need to give themselves up to 12 weeks before they start to feel confident that the techniques are becoming habitual, i.e. that they can make use of them with relatively little conscious effort.

Typically, therefore, one can run the course for three weeks (delivering Voice Packs 1-3) and then instruct clients to practice on their own for up to a further 12 weeks. They should be given the voice therapist’s contact details and informed that they can get in touch any time if they are experiencing difficulties, need further advice, have forgotten how to carry out a therapy exercise, and so on.

Week 9

It is advisable to contact each client in writing six weeks after the course has been completed: to check on their progress and to remind them that they should feel free to contact the voice therapist if they need any assistance.

Week 13

Approximately 10 weeks after the course has completed follow up with a telephone call to each client to enquire how they are progressing and whether they feel they would like a review appointment. It is preferable that the voice therapist makes these calls rather than, for example, a secretary. This is because it provides an opportunity for the therapist to hear the client’s speaking voice (albeit with the inherent sound quality degradation of phones) and will assist the therapist in helping the client determine if they require an immediate review appointment.

Week 15

Any client who requests a review appointment, or any client who could not be contacted by telephone, is offered an individual review appointment within two weeks of the phone call, i.e. by week 12 after the course has completed.

In addition, send copies of the revision exercises to all clients who attended the course but who have not requested a review appointment.

[NB (JAN 2018): THESE REVISION EXERCISES WILL BE POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE AT A LATER DATE]

Idealized Course Delivery Schedule

Each Voice Pack will now be described in turn and advice given regarding delivery of the course materials. The descriptions are written as if the materials are being presented in group sessions.

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