I am caring for my friend who had a brain aneurysm and a stroke about a year ago. Her voice is there but it's very very low and I believe she does not breath deep enough.. Can you please advise on ways I can help her voice become strong again... Thank you!

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I believe your friend would benefit from a team approach - I recommend discussing the low volume of her voice with a local physical therapist, speech therapist, and respiratory therapist.  Positioning impacts breathing, and a physical therapist will be able to help you with that.  And all three therapists may be able to recommend additional exercises to increase the volume of her voice after seeing her in person.  These therapists can be found through home health agencies and out patient hospital clinics.  She may be receiving services from these settings already.

However, there is another speech therapy program that has been effective in individuals with Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, MS, stroke, etc.  It is called the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, commonly referred to as LSVT.  It is very specific in that it focuses on increasing vocal loudness, but you will need to find someone in or close to your area who is certified in this technique/approach.  I'm not personally familiar with this treatment, but it may be worth looking in to and consulting with an LSVT speech therapist.

Depending on how much the low volume impacts her spoken language, another option would be to use an augmentative communication device. This can be discussed with your friend’s speech therapist. 

You might also find this post helpful on using visual aids for communication.  If I can be of any further help, please let me know! I wish your friend all the best in her continued health and progress.  You are a true friend.

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Warm regards,

Debbie

Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP

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