Phonation & Resonation in Oro-Motor Exercise

Nayi Disha organized a speech therapy workshop with speech and language pathologist, Ms.Chitra Thadathil. The workshop conducted discussions on various topics such as Hearing, language and speech concerns in children with Down syndrome, Sensory issues in children with Down syndrome and the importance of ORO-MOTOR exercises. Phonation & Resonation are steps 2 and 3 in the Oro-motor exercise. 

This article is based on the above video that talks about and explains the concept of ‘Phonation & Resonation’ in oro-motor exercises. You can check the other videos here.

What is phonation?

Phonation is the process of sound production in the voice box. Air from the lungs passes through and vibrates the vocal folds, creating sound. 

Strengthening phonation helps children develop clearer, stronger voices.

Exercises to improve phonation

1. Horns and whistles: They help build breath support and control while encouraging sound production.

• Gather a variety of whistles (simple to complex). Try each whistle yourself before introducing it to your child.
• Grade the whistles (e.g., number them 1–10) from easiest to hardest.
• Progress only when the child masters the easier ones.

Key tips

• Ensure the child’s lips are sealed around the whistle. 
• Check that sound is produced consistently.
• Aim for at least 10 successful blows before moving to the next level. 

2. Kazoo: It encourages vibration of the vocal folds along with airflow. 

• Introduce the kazoo only after the child has succeeded with different whistles (at least 3).
• Unlike whistles, the kazoo requires both airflow and vocal fold vibration.
• This activity helps transition from simple blowing to actual voice production.

3. Tactile prompts: Helps children feel and understand the vibrations involved in sound production. This builds awareness of how the voice works and supports confidence in making sounds.

1. Gently guide the child to place their hand on their throat while producing different sounds. For example: humming, saying “mmm,” or simple vowel sounds like “ah.”
2. Stay patient and supportive. Some children may feel anxious, which can make sound production more difficult.
3. Begin with simpler sounds (like humming or sustained vowels) before moving to more complex exercises. Gradually increase the challenge as the child becomes more comfortable.

Ms.Chitra also shares some exercises to work on the production of some sounds such as m/ and p/

What is resonation?

Resonation refers to sound production through the nose. For sounds like “m” and “n”, it is important that the child breathes out through the nose.

• Air coming out through the nose creates nasal resonance.
• Some children are “mouth breathers” and may need extra support to learn nasal breathing.

Exercise to improve resonation

• Tissue paper mist:

1. Place a moist tissue paper just under the child’s nose. Encourage them to breathe out through the nose.
2. When successful, they will see a mist form on the tissue.
3. This provides a clear, visual cue that nasal breathing is happening.

• Cotton ball activity: Once the child can produce mist on tissue, move to a playful activity:

1. Place cotton balls near their nose.
2. Encourage them to blow the cotton balls away using nasal breathing.
3. This adds fun and helps strengthen nasal airflow control. 

• Tactile Prompts: Use gentle tactile cues to help the child:

1. Lightly guide their mouth closed if needed.
2. Encourage awareness of air moving through the nose.

Pair tactile prompts with encouragement to reduce anxiety.

Combining resonation practice with phonation and tactile prompts for a complete voice-building routine, will be beneficial for the child’s speech and language development. 

Additionally, you may download this caregiver’s manual to understand the long-term care and health of individuals with Downs Syndrome. 

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can call or what’s app us. Our counselors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this guide is for information purposes only. Please consult a qualified health practitioner for safe management.