Workshop Overview: This intensive 50-minute hands-on workshop trains voice clinicians and pedagogues in real-time portable ultrasound imaging for assessing lingual articulation, tongue positioning, and pharyngeal resonance strategies critical to voice production and treatment. Participants directly practice probe placement, image optimization, and clinical interpretation using live volunteer demonstrators, gaining immediate competency in this accessible, non-invasive visualization technology applicable to both clinical rehabilitation and teaching voice contexts.

Workshop Structure (Hands-On Focus – 45 minutes): Following a brief 5-minute introduction, participants immediately engage in supervised practical stations. Working in small groups with portable ultrasound units, attendees practice scanning techniques on volunteer vocalists and audience members, learning to visualize tongue shape during vowel modifications, resonance adjustments, and therapeutic exercises. The instructor circulates among stations, providing real-time feedback on probe angulation, image interpretation, and clinical application. Participants practice identifying normal versus maladaptive lingual-palatal configurations, recognizing tongue root tension patterns, and documenting positioning changes across vocal registers.

Clinical and Pedagogical Applications Demonstrated: Through direct hands-on practice, participants learn portable ultrasound for clinical assessment: evaluating lingual bracing in hyperfunctional voice disorders; visualizing tongue modifications during resonant voice therapy; assessing pharyngeal width during resonance strategies; and providing biofeedback during rehabilitation. Pedagogical applications include: visualizing tongue adjustments during vowel modification instruction; demonstrating optimal positioning for different vocal styles; providing immediate visual feedback during teaching voice lessons for resonance training; comparing tongue configurations for multilingual singers; and documenting technical progress. Unlike endoscopic procedures requiring specialized settings, portable ultrasound enables immediate chairside or studio assessment.

Practical & Transferable Skill Development: Attendees master: optimal probe positioning for midsagittal tongue visualization; recognizing anatomical landmarks (hyoid, genioglossus, tongue root); distinguishing artifact from clinically significant findings; integrating ultrasound into treatment and instruction; and facilitating client/student understanding through visual biofeedback. Each participant completes multiple scans under supervision, developing confidence in image acquisition and interpretation.

Expected Outcomes: By workshop conclusion, participants demonstrate competency in: independent probe placement and image optimization; identifying normal lingual configurations across phonetic contexts; recognizing maladaptive patterns (posterior tongue retraction, excessive tension); applying ultrasound biofeedback to therapy and pedagogy; and explaining findings and adjustments. Participants leave equipped to implement this innovative, accessible technology across clinical and pedagogical settings.