"I liked the demonstration of how to use SOVT in practice." R.G. (Apr. 2024)

"I enjoyed the Semi Occluded Vocal Tract techniques and the ease of the course." C.W. (Mar. 2024)

"SOVT was beneficial, and I enjoyed the entire course. Excellent presenter." E.B. (Mar. 2024)

"I liked that I could go at my own pace, the review of the physiology, and SOVT exercises." K.P. (Feb. 2024)

"The course was clear and concise with practical information and an engaging presenter. Information about SOVT and how to use it / progress through it with patients." A.P. (Jan. 2024)

"Great refresher course for voice for me! I work in a SNF setting and occasionally work with voice patients. Part 3 will probably be the most useful for me in my setting. Very comprehensive course! I enjoyed reviewing the voice mechanism, learning about SOVT, and getting the latest research on caring for the voice." L.D. (Jan. 2024)

"The vocal techniques were helpful. I liked the review of voice and voice production." C.L. (Jan. 2024)

"Really, all of this course was beneficial! Very practical, applicable treatment and educational counseling techniques were given throughout. Very evidence-based material was presented. Really appreciated the foundational information for why these techniques work for clients. Great interlinking between application and foundational knowledge. This is a true course for a clinician. The course was very densely packed with research, evidence, examples, case studies, current topics/trends, etc." J.H. (Jan. 2024)

"Beneficial explanation of SOVTs and use of their progression. I liked that the course was online and easy to follow." J.D. (Dec. 2023)

"I can use most of these therapies tomorrow." S.C. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the discussion on myths. Easy approach to technical aspects." J.M. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the specific treatment techniques with examples/models." C.H. (Dec. 2023)

"LOVED PRAAT. Loved the Singing under MRI. A talented instructor who took the "EDGE" out of learning speech science. Current digital abilities with videos make learning so much easier than on sound spectrogram (the original one!)." C.S. (Dec. 2023)

"The information about SOVTs, particularly cup phonation, was beneficial. I had not yet heard of cup phonation, and it makes perfect sense for bridging the technique in phonation in the classic straw SOVT exercises to real speech tasks. I also learned a lot about vocal health and appreciated evidence-based information; many myths still abound, as I learned!" E.C. (Dec. 2023)

"Very applicable material, with information and techniques that can be used right away. This course was very organized, and the presenter did an excellent job of describing the material clearly. Excellent analogies to improve understanding and memory of the information!" E.C. (Dec. 2023)

"The techniques in this course were beneficial." P.B. (Dec. 2023)

"Excellent presentation by knowledgeable presenter with superior teaching ability. Speech science and formant education were helpful. The course was convenient and self-paced." S.S. (Nov. 2023)

"The therapy techniques were beneficial. The info was very useful for the pts I am treating at this time." B.O. (Nov. 2023)

"All the information was good." M.E. (Nov. 2023)

"I liked the clear review on the function of the voice and practical clinical tools." D.L. (Sep. 2023)

"Interesting and easy-to-follow lecture for this specific information." J.T. (Sep. 2023)

"I found the straw and cup techniques helpful. I really enjoyed the refresher on vocal production and updated information on vocal care." S.Q. (Sep. 2023)

"SOVT therapy and straw and cup phonation exercises were helpful. The instructor presents the material in a very accessible way." J.K. (Aug. 2023)

"I loved his speaking style, the examples given, and the SOVT information." K.B. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked the demonstrations of the SOVT and cup phonation exercises. SOVT and care of our voice were beneficial to discuss." A.J. (Jul. 2023)

"This was all very good information that I will implement." T.S. (May 2023)

"Knowing how to implement SOVT techniques, including straw phonation with and without water resistance as well as cup phonation was beneficial. When presenter explained topics, he did so clearly with an excellent balance of "remember this from graduate school" and "this may be new information". He was one of the best online speakers I have taken classes under, given his rate of delivery, details provided, and blend of targeted information for experienced and new clinicians." J.M. (May 2023)

"All topics were great. Very informative course." P.B. (Apr. 2023)

"Wonderful overview. Information on both theory and therapy was most interesting. All of the sections were great." S.H. (Apr. 2023)

"The presenter was clearly very knowledgeable, and everything was quite easy to understand. I liked hearing real voice samples. The topic of semi-occluded vocal tract exercises and the progression from most occluded to least occluded was beneficial." C.V. (Mar. 2023)

"Good information. The presenter was easy to follow." B.M. (Mar. 2023)

"I liked the review of anatomy and physiology, SOVT, and vocal hygiene myths/realities. Liked the presenter's thoroughness and expertise. Cited current research. Course laid out well." M.W. (Mar. 2023)

"I liked the videos, demonstrations, and focus on therapy skills. And the SOVT hierarchy." B.R. (Feb. 2023)

"Basis of phonation and rationale for exercises. I liked the comprehensiveness of course." M.G. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the demonstrations of the techniques." T.L. (Feb. 2023)

"Discussion of SOVT was beneficial. I liked the way the speaker presented his information." A.J. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the overview of SOVT and vocal maintenance myths debunked. Clear instruction for inexperienced voice clinician, great examples, achievable action points to begin therapy confidently." T.C. (Jan. 2023)

"Treatment techniques were beneficial. I liked the demonstration of therapy techniques." S.W. (Jan. 2023)

"I really liked the visual demonstrations." C.O. (Jan. 2023)

"Everything was really useful and especially the very practical examples of techniques. This course was so interesting. I loved it all." S.G. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked the vocal hygiene myths/realities. Therapy interventions were beneficial." A.P. (Dec. 2022)

"Learning what does and does not appear to affect the voice. I liked the format and the visuals." J.S. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked the treatment techniques and anatomy review." C.G. (Dec. 2022)

"I needed a refresher on voice for my knowledge and also for helping treat voice patients in my inpatient setting. I need treatment options that are EB. The presenter and his examples during the course including videos and charts - really helped with my understanding." S.S. (Dec. 2022)

"Interesting presentation; good examples. I liked the discussion of SOVT and vocal hygiene." J.S. (Dec. 2022)

"Intervention and caring for the vocal instrument. I liked the demonstration of intervention techniques and citing best practices and current research." L.B. (Nov. 2022)

"Such a great review of the anatomy and physiology of the vocal tract! I appreciated revisiting the "old myths" and revising my narrative around them. I loved the creative visuals and examples of different vocal styles and uses. The instructor was clearly very knowledgeable." J.K. (Nov. 2022)

"This presentation and the presenter were excellent!! Actual samples of therapy and reference to other therapy options." K.G. (Nov. 2022)

"New treatments and demonstrations of techniques. Good pacing, depth of knowledge of the instructor." P.L. (Nov. 2022)

"Gave me a great review of vocal physiology and new sources for greater therapeutic choices. The ability to pause and review as needed was nice." L.M. (Nov. 2022)

"The video demonstrations on SOVT were beneficial." V.B. (Nov. 2022)

"It is very convenient and I can watch the videos on my own time. I liked the therapy and voice analysis." N.R. (Nov. 2022)

"The presenter is very easy to follow. Good mix of format and layout of content." G.S. (Nov. 2022)

"I appreciated the practical treatment demonstrations and the ways that Chris tied objective data to treatment decisions. It was a good review and update to my voice treatment skill set." S.J. (Nov. 2022)

"Good review of voice anatomy. I liked the SOVT exercises." M.K. (Oct. 2022)

"I'm a semi-professional singer (high soprano) and this information was really excellent and I will put it into immediate use. Chris's presentation was straightforward with good content and very helpful graphics. Thanks for the education Chris! He is a natural teacher." E.B. (Oct. 2022)

"The demonstrations and illustrations were excellent. I liked the discussion about pitch and SOVT techniques. Speaker spoke clearly and slowly enough to take notes." L.H. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked the application of voice therapy techniques because I can use these immediately. Cup phonation was a new concept for me. It seems like a beneficial transition step that will really help patients to apply SOVT to actual conversation." T.C. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked the specific examples of SOVT (demonstrations) along with current information re: vocal hygiene." M.B. (Sept. 2022)

"The SOVT info was great. I use that technique but needed to know more about it." M.B. (Aug. 2022)

"I liked that this course was practical and can apply to treatment. I liked the sections on SOVT and vocal health maintenance." K.P. (Aug. 2022)

"I enjoyed all the refreshers and updated evidence based information on caring for the vocal instrument." H.K. (Aug. 2022)

"Great presentation!" M.C. (July 2022)

"The format and flow of the course were good." E.I. (July 2022)

"Good explanation of semi-occluded techniques to use. Great presentation style and information provided." E.S. (June 2022)

"Very clearly presented. Practical, evidence based treatment options." S.D. (June 2022)

"Great review for an oldie like me and the information presented can easily be described to clients." C.R. (June 2022)

"New therapy techniques that I can try, and also dispelling myths we thought were correct." L.S. (June 2022)

"Great information and instructions." C.B. (June 2022)

"Practical information; therapy demo; excellent organization of the course. I liked the SOVT techniques, breakdown of how to change vocal quality (source/filter), vocal register discussion (muscles used), the concept of daily dose... ALL of it, really!" L.A. (May 2022)

"I liked the SOVT techniques, speech science review, and the fun examples." R.M. (May 2022)

"Loved the demonstrations for therapy practice. I learned a lot about a topic that is difficult for me." R.G. (May 2022)

"Discussing therapy techniques for voice impairments such as a paralyzed vocal fold will be beneficial to my practice. I liked the examples and visuals to help clarify information." L.M. (Apr. 2022)

"The instructor was both informative and interesting and related topics to everyday practice." R.P. (Mar. 2022)

"Very thorough, visuals and audio examples." C.P. (Feb. 2022)

"The review of anatomy was a nice introduction, and the most recent therapy techniques that are used to obtain patient participation in therapeutic activities were demonstrated very effectively." J.B. (Feb. 2022)

"Clear and concise presentation of knowledge with great demonstrations! The content was excellent and presented in a user-friendly method!" M.M. (Feb. 2022)

"Presenter was very knowledgeable and gave good demonstrations." C.M. (Jan. 2022)

"The presenter offered clear examples of treatment techniques." A.C. (Jan. 2022)

"The instructor gave a very good overview and description of many aspects of voice and voice therapy. I enjoy having a fresh understanding of the voice so I will be ready when working with patients with voice problems. The handouts were informative and will serve as a good resource. I am glad he talked about the aging voice!" K.S. (Jan. 2022)

"I will utilize the vocal hygiene recommendations for my therapy sessions. I appreciated a thorough refresher in anatomy and physiology of the larynx prior to the additional material provided." L.M. (Dec. 2021)

"Really excellent presenter with good handouts. Loved the explanation of the physics and rationale for all recommendations. Loved the range of practical advice - very thorough and helpful." E.S. (Dec. 2021)

"Dr. Gaskell did an amazing job presenting the course material with multiple modes of explanation." J.C. (Dec. 2021)

"The analogies helped me understand physics involved. I also liked the examples and videos." M.T. (Nov. 2021)

"The instructor was able to explain complex concepts in a way that was easy to understand- I loved all the analogies he used, helped the concepts to stick better."  K.W. (Nov. 2021)

"The presenter was very knowledgeable and used demonstrations to convey his points." C.E. (Nov. 2021)

"I liked the practical examples employed by the instructor that helped me to better understand concepts being taught." L.B. (Nov. 2021)

"The review of anatomy and physiology review of vocal maintenance discussion of vocal maintenance myths/updates was beneficial for my daily practice. The speaker was very clear and confident." S.L. (Oct. 2021)

"The basic information presented re: voice was beneficial.  I liked the overall reminder of vocal parameters." D.H-G (Sept. 2021)

"I specifically will utilize the suggestions for caring for vocal folds and vocal health maintenance. I appreciated the visual charts and films used to describe various aspects of the vocal tract and techniques." K.D. (Aug. 2021)

"The discussion of SOVT techniques and description of hierarchy of SOVT outline were very good." S.H. (Aug. 2021)

"Semi occluded vocal tract exercises and review of how to produce voice were good." C.P. (Aug. 2021)

"The review of physiology was helpful as was the content about caring for one's voice. I also enjoyed the SOVT demonstrations. The presenter's pacing was good and I like how he related concepts to other background knowledge (e.g., Bernoulli effect)." J.K. (Aug. 2021)

"Every area was important, but the treatment methods and explanation as to how and why they work was just as important due to the physics behind them.  I liked the mix of theoretical and practical information on voice production, treatment, and vocal hygiene. The videos of the artificial larynx with sound maker was so amazing that I showed them to my 18 year old daughter, who will be majoring in medical laboratory sciences when she goes to college this fall. The presenter had a good mix of quantitative and practical experience to share." E.F. (Aug. 2021)

"Specific SOVT exercises and discussion regarding facts/myths of vocal care are beneficial for my practice." D.B. (July 2021)

"All segments were very beneficial especially the examples of voice therapy techniques." M.H. (July 2021)

"The very clear explanations of A& P a with analogies, demonstrations, and videos, as well as the explanations and demonstrations of training hierarchy will be beneficial for my daily practice.  Very clear instruction. Wish I had had such good teaching in my graduate voice class! I appreciate information bout vocal dosimeter and other current assessment and treatment tools." E.L. (July 2021)

"Therapy Techniques and the age old arguments about caffeine, carbonation etc. were good for my practice.  I liked that I could do it when I had time. I loved his use of videos and examples. It was also helpful that he is a trained singer." R.VN (July 2021)

"SOVT explanation and suggested exercises are beneficial for my practice. I enjoyed the ease of access, presenter did a very good job." G.M. (July 2021)

Section 1

1. Describe how vocal folds maintain self-sustained vibration.
2. Describe how vocal pitch and loudness are changed.
3. Describe the acoustic formation of vowels.
4. Describe the changes in voice quality achieved by the source and the filter.

Section 2

1. Define a semi-occluded vocal tract and describe its basic physiology and acoustic properties.
2. Describe the potential benefits of voice therapy with a semi-occluded vocal tract.
3. Show basic semi-occluded vocal tract techniques and describe their effects on voice production.

Section 3

1. Summarize the potential effects of different substances and behaviors on the health of the vocal mechanism.
2. Describe a paradigm for the prevention and rehabilitation of vocal injury.
3. Describe the role of inflammation in the development of vocal fold injury and how to monitor and manage it.
4. Describe the benefits of monitoring vocal dose for vocal injury prevention.
5. Describe the role and benefits of treatments such as surgery, steroids and direct voice rehabilitation in voice care.

This program is offered for 0.4 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level; Professional Area).

ASHA CEUs: NSS online courses are registered with ASHA and are offered for ASHA CEUs. The number of ASHA CEUs is noted above. Note that 0.1 ASHA CEU = 1 contact hour = equals 1 CEE.

ASHA CEUs: Attendees must meet at least one of the following conditions in order to be eligible to earn ASHA CEUs:

• Current ASHA Member
• ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) Holder
• Licensed by a state or provincial regulatory agency to practice speech-language pathology (SLP) or audiology
• Credentialed by a state regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
• Credentialed by a national regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology
• Engaged in a Clinical Fellowship under the supervision of an individual with their ASHA CCC
• Currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral program in SLP or audiology

If an attendee is not an ASHA member or CCC holder but meets any of the above criteria, they may inform the ASHA CE Registry of their eligibility by visiting this site.

Customer Support: Please phone 888.337.3866 or email info@northernspeech.com.

Course Completion Timeframe:

You have unlimited time to complete our online courses. You may log off and log on as often as you’d like to in order to complete all sections of a course.

However, completion dates are based on Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, if you need your CEUs by a certain date, be sure to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on that date. For example, if you need CEUs before January 1st, you will need to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on December 31st.

Content Access:

Access to course materials and content does not expire, even after completing the post test. You may continue to review course material by logging into your NSS account, clicking the My Online Courses tab, and then viewing your desired course.

Certificate of Completion:

On successful completion of the post test (80%), a certificate will be immediately available for download and/or printing. This certificate will include your name, date of completion (based on Eastern Time Zone, USA/Canada), and number of contact hours (CEUs / CEEs). Please note that CEUs are awarded on the date of successful test completion, not the date of course enrollment. Please ensure that you successfully complete the post test prior to any licensure renewal dates.

ASHA CE Registry Submission:

During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.

Purchase Orders:

Purchase orders are currently not accepted for online orders, if you wish to submit a purchase order please do so at info@northernspeech.com or fax to 888-696-9655.

What is an Online Course?

Our Online Courses consist of video, audio, and/or text content and are offered for ASHA CEUs. Unlike a webinar, which requires participants to be logged on and at a computer at specific times, our Online Courses are available to you at any time, from any device, via your NorthernSpeech.com online account. You may work at your own pace and start and stop your course as you wish. Your course will conclude with a short post test. On successful completion of the post test (>80%), a printable certificate of completion is presented to you.

Receiving CEUs:

Northern Speech is an ASHA CE Provider and our online courses are registered with ASHA and offered for ASHA CEUs. Please note that successful completion of the online post test is required prior to the awarding of CEUs. Please contact your state licensing board for acceptance policies related to CEUs earned online. Please note that courses offered for university students are not applicable for CEUs.

Registering for an online course:

You may browse all online courses by clicking the Continuing Education tab above, then Online Courses. Once you find a course, click Enroll Now, and you will be asked to either log into your existing Northern Speech account or create a new online account. Once you’ve entered your account information and provided your credit card payment, your course will be immediately available to you.

Accessing your purchased course or returning to a purchased course:

You will be able to access your online course by logging into your Northern Speech account and then clicking the My Online Courses tab on your profile screen. Click the course you would like to start or to resume. From there, proceed through the course sections until you are ready to complete the post test. You do not have to complete your course all at once. You may log on and off as you wish.

Testing requirements:

Each online course concludes with a post test consisting of multiple choice or true & false questions. Scores of 80% or greater are required for successful course completion and awarding of CEUs. You may revisit course materials and retest as needed to achieve a passing score.

Number of CEUs offered:

We offer courses from 1 to 21 contact hours. Each course will note the number of CEUs offered. Please note that 0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour = 1 CEE.

State licensing boards and online CEUs:

NSS is an ASHA CE Provider and most state licensing boards DO accept ASHA CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some boards do, however, place a limit to the number of CEUs that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any CEU limits related to home-study courses prior to enrolling in an online course.

Course formats:

Our course formats include: text, audio, video, and PowerPoint with author narration. Each course will note the format on the course description page. Most courses include closed captioning.

Course handouts:

Most of our online courses provide a link to download the accompanying handout as a PDF file. 

Group discounts:

Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a 20% discount on each registration on most of our online courses. To receive this discount, registrations need to be processed together via the "Group Rates" tab on the Online Course of your choice.

Computer requirements:

For our online courses to function best, we recommend that you update your computer to include the newest version of your Internet browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, etc.) and newest version of your computer's operating system. Also a high-speed Internet connection is recommended (cable or DSL). Speakers or headphones will be required for many of our courses as many contain audio components.

Course Cancellation Policy:

A purchased online course can be exchanged, refunded, or transferred to another individual if contact is made with NSS (via phone or email) within 30 days of purchase and the course materials have not been viewed or downloaded. 

Special Needs:

Please click here for any special needs requests, and we will do our best to accommodate them. 

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