Penny Anne O’Donnell (Speech and Language Therapist), Laura Neel (Voice Coach), and David Keefe (Musical Director) combine their experience across clinical voice care, technical vocal training, and musical direction to offer a holistic framework for practitioners working with children and adolescents. This session is designed for speech and language therapists, singing teachers, choir leaders, musical directors, and other professionals working with young performers. Attendants will explore practical tools, shared language for interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-informed strategies to nurture healthy, confident young voices.

For women, the psychosocial impact is amplified. Their low-pitched substitute voices often leave them vulnerable to discrimination including misgendering and disregard, while the association of throat cancer with alcohol and smoking carries heightened stigma for women. The added disproportionate burden of caring responsibilities for women further complicates recovery.
Our study focused on five female members of the Shout at Cancer Laryngectomy Choir (ages 42–75), representing diverse social backgrounds, professions and family arrangements. Using feminist standpoint methodology, an interactive workshop (led by a female singing coach with expertise in pedagogy, rehabilitationand the socio-political psychology of marginalised voices) identified themes for follow-up in individual, unstructured interviews.
Findings highlight that altered voice with limited expressive range profoundly affected all aspects of participants’ professional and personal lives. Combined with negative social experiences, these challenges prolonged psychological recovery and adaptation. Participants emphasised that laryngectomy heightened vulnerability to discrimination and social exclusion andmade underlying societal gender inequalities more visible and confronting. Our study highlights the implications of these experiences for the multidisciplinary care team supporting female laryngectomy patients.

Central to this research is the principle of safety before cognition: the recognition that neuro-inclusive practice is not merely an additive strategy, but a baseline requirement. We will examine how intentionally cultivating a sense of safety within the working environment functions as a catalyst for cognitive availability, allowing for a more equitable and embodied approach to voice and speech training.