Parkinson Voice Project

Speech Therapy for People with Parkinson’s

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About SPEAK OUT!® Therapy

Did you know 90% of people with Parkinson’s are at risk of developing a weak voice that can lead to life-threatening swallowing complications?

Parkinson Voice Project has developed a unique speech treatment to help patients regain and retain their speech and communication while minimizing swallowing issues. The organization offers this program to patients throughout Texas from its clinic and is teaching the protocol to speech-language pathologists worldwide through its online SPEAK OUT! Training Course.

SPEAK OUT! is based on principles of motor learning and teachings of Daniel R. Boone, PhD, CCC-SLP. Patients learn to convert speech from an automatic function to an intentional act.

SPEAK OUT! combines education for the patient and family, individual speech therapy, daily home practice using workbooks, flashcards, and online practice sessions, weekly speech and singing groups, and regular re-evaluations.

Expand each item below for more information. 

1. SPEAK OUT! Evaluation

The first step to the SPEAK OUT! therapy program is to determine if a patient is a candidate for the treatment. A Speech Evaluation is conducted by a “SPEAK OUT! Provider.” This is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) who has been formally trained in Parkinson Voice Project’s SPEAK OUT! treatment protocol.

The SLP will obtain baseline measurements related to vocal volume, breath support for speech, vocal quality, articulation, and prosody. A few of the SPEAK OUT! exercises will be demonstrated. The patient will be asked to perform these exercises and read a set of phrases using INTENT. From this simple “test,” a SPEAK OUT! Provider can determine if the patient will benefit from this speech therapy program.

2. SPEAK OUT! Workbook/eLibrary

Parkinson Voice Project wants every patient enrolled in SPEAK OUT! to learn the exercises quickly and accurately. We also want to keep daily home practice interesting. For this reason, our nonprofit has developed a unique set of speech therapy materials to complement their treatment.

U.S. patients can order a free hard copy of the SPEAK OUT! Workbook from Parkinson Voice Project after they have completed their Speech Evaluation.

Both U.S. and Non-U.S. patients are given free access to the “SPEAK OUT! eLibrary.” This unique eLibrary includes photo, word, math, and conversation flashcards, a songbook, and other therapy workbooks available in English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Using the flashcards and performing SPEAK OUT! exercises in different languages can keep daily practice fun. Patients obtain the link to the eLibrary from their SPEAK OUT! Provider.

Parkinson Voice Project does not charge patients for these therapy materials. Patients are encouraged to Pay It Forward by making a donation to help the next patient who enrolls in SPEAK OUT!

3. Learn About Parkinson’s Webinar

Before starting SPEAK OUT!, people with Parkinson’s and their families attend our Learn about Parkinson’s Webinar. Close friends and caregivers should attend, too. Having the patient’s entire support system understand basic information about Parkinson’s and how and why speech and swallowing are affected is essential to SPEAK OUT! success.

The webinar explains how the automatic motor system is highly-dependent on dopamine and the intentional motor system is not. This is why “intent” may be the most important word for people with Parkinson’s.

In addition, the webinar explains how reduced levels of dopamine affect motivation and drive. It is essential for family and friends to understand these challenges.

Since Parkinson’s is a progressive, degenerative condition, patients and their families are encouraged to attend this webinar at least once a year. Understanding the information presented is essential to regaining and retaining speech and communication.

4. Individual Speech Therapy

After patients and their families attend our Learn about Parkinson’s Webinar, individual SPEAK OUT! therapy begins. The goals of therapy include 1). teaching the patient and family the SPEAK OUT! exercises; 2). helping the patient and family establish a daily home practice routine; 3). teaching the patient how to “speak with intent;” 4). instructing the family on the most effective cue to elicit “intentional speech” from the patient; 5). determining which speech and/or singing group will provide the best support to help the patient retain the improvements achieved during individual treatment.

Patients typically reach their SPEAK OUT! goals in 8 to 12 individual speech therapy sessions. Sessions are 40 minutes long.

5. Weekly Speech & Singing Groups

Besides daily home practice, the SPEAK OUT! therapy program includes weekly speech and/or singing groups.

During the third and fourth weeks of individual SPEAK OUT! therapy, patients will attend a speech and/or singing group. The goal is for every patient to find a group of their peers to meet with weekly.

Group members share resources, hold one another accountable for completing daily exercises, and provide support and encouragement.

Speech groups are led by SPEAK OUT! Providers, and singing groups are led by music professionals and/or SPEAK OUT! Providers.

Singing with INTENT is an effective vocal exercise. Parkinson Voice Project hosts weekly singing groups in its speech therapy clinic. Online Sing-Alongs are also available each week. Even if you don’t read music or think you have a musical voice, join us!

Parkinson Voice Project also hosts an annual concert called, SING OUT! People with Parkinson’s and their families from around the world perform in this virtual show.

6. Refresher Every 3-6 Months

The mission of Parkinson Voice Project is to help every person with Parkinson’s or related movement disorder regain and retain speech and communication while minimizing swallowing complications. In other words, we want patients to retain the improvements achieved during individual speech therapy for the rest of their lives.

To accomplish this, patients should have a “SPEAK OUT! Refresher” every three to six months. During these sessions, the SPEAK OUT! Provider will compare the patient’s speech and swallowing to the level achieved during original individual speech therapy. Additional speech therapy is scheduled at this time if there has been a decline.

By having consistent “Refreshers,” speech and/or swallowing issues are addressed more quickly.

Retaining speech and swallowing in Parkinson’s is a challenge. It requires continuous vocal exercise and consistent follow-up and speech therapy. However, Parkinson Voice Project has proven over the years that retaining speech and swallowing IS possible. We will do everything we can to help you! We are with you for the long haul!

Daily SPEAK OUT! Home Practice

Since Parkinson’s is progressive and degenerative, daily home practice is a crucial part of SPEAK OUT! Without setting this daily routine, patients will not reach their full potential. They will also struggle to retain speech and swallowing abilities.

During individual speech therapy, patients complete SPEAK OUT! exercises twice a day. Upon reaching their therapy goals, they might be able to reduce practice to just once a day.

Parkinson Voice Project hosts Online SPEAK OUT! Home Practice Sessions Monday thru Friday on its website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. These free sessions are intended to keep daily home practice interesting. Patients also have their SPEAK OUT! Workbook and flashcards to use for home practice.

Parkinson Voice Project has spent years developing these therapeutic resources to help people with Parkinson’s complete their daily home practice and maintain enthusiasm for the hard work of speaking and living with Intent. We will continue to find new, creative ways to meet this challenge.

A photo of Samantha Elandary and Dr. Boone

SPEAK OUT! and

Dr. Daniel R. Boone

SPEAK OUT! was developed by Parkinson Voice Project. The therapy program is based on principles of motor learning and teachings of the late Daniel R. Boone, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. In the 1950s, Boone recognized people with Parkinson’s could improve their communication skills by “speaking with intent.”

More information on Dr. Boone

Learn how and why Samantha Elandary founded Parkinson Voice Project

Help people with Parkinson’s SPEAK OUT! Donate Now