[Observations on the accent-method of Smith in the management of speech and voice disturbances. Part I (author's transl)].

One of the best known methods in northern Europe for the treatment of voice disorders is the "accent-method", which was devised by Svend Smith in Denmark. The method is based on the use of the stressed ("accentuated") syllable as a therapeutic tool to develop pronunciation and a natural attractive voice. Present theories of the physics and the physiology of voice function form the basis for the method, in addition to concepts from modern psychology and pedagogics. By using the technique, it is possible to develop a therapeutic field between patient and therapist within which voice and speech behavior can be treated as a whole. The method is described in detail in the present paper. In a forthcoming paper, the method will be discussed from the viewpoints of the physics and physiology of phonation as well as from pedagogical and psychological aspects,