Texas Voice for Parkinson Disease

Description

SPEAK OUT! is a voice improvement program developed by Texas Voice Project for Parkinson Disease. It was designed to help individuals with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders learn how to project their voices to improve overall communication. SPEAK OUT! is based on the teachings of Dr. Daniel R. Boone, a speech-language pathologist and voice specialist who has been treating patients with Parkinson’s since the mid-1950s. Dr. Boone states that "when someone with Parkinson’s speaks with intent (e.g. speaks louder), their speech can be slower, louder, have better voice quality, and better articulation." Using "deliberate intention" helps speech become "much more normal in rhythm and clarity of articulation."

SPEAK OUT! consists of a combination of individual and group therapy sessions provided over 4-5 weeks. Patients learn to "speak with intent" and "speak louder" while completing exercises that not only strengthen the entire speech and swallowing mechanisms, but also address common cognitive challenges experienced by many individuals with Parkinson’s (e.g. word finding difficulties). Patients who have completed SPEAK OUT! report improvements in their quality of life, vocal volume, articulation, breath support for speech, swallowing, confidence, and a reduction in drooling. All therapy sessions are conducted by Master’s Level Speech-Language Pathologists who are certified by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing-Association.