Grant application deadline: March 15
Application Deadline March 15, 2023
With the goal of helping more people with Parkinson’s regain and retain their speech and communication through its breakthrough speech therapy program, Parkinson Voice Project is offering training grants to individual speech-language pathologists and hospitals, universities, and clinics worldwide. The deadline for grant applications is March 15, 2023.
“There is high demand for speech-language pathologists trained in our SPEAK OUT!® therapy program – especially with 90,000 new U.S. cases of Parkinson’s every year,” says Samantha Elandary, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Parkinson Voice Project. “Our effective, clinically proven SPEAK OUT! therapy program involves strengthening the speech and swallowing mechanism and learning how to ‘speak with intent.’”
Parkinson’s is currently the world’s fastest-growing neurological disorder, with 90% of those afflicted developing speech disorders that can lead to life-threatening swallowing complications.
“The solution to preserving speech and swallowing,” Elandary says, “involves consistent vocal exercise and hard work. People with Parkinson’s who are diligent in following our SPEAK OUT! program have maintained their treatment results for 10+ years and counting. We want everyone with Parkinson’s to have this same opportunity.”
Incidence of Parkinson’s has Doubled
Over 1 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s. According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of Parkinson’s Disease has doubled over the past 25 years, and disability due to Parkinson’s is rising more quickly than for any other neurological disorder. Parkinson Voice Project’s mission is to offer all people with Parkinson’s the ability to regain and retain their speech and swallowing to stay connected and lead engaged, fulfilling lives.
Speech Therapy Training Grants Available
Parkinson Voice Project is offering training grants to qualified speech-language pathologists and universities, hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, facilities, and rehabilitation organizations. Free SPEAK OUT! training for two speech-language pathologists and all graduate students will be provided. These grants will also offer therapy workbooks and up to $1,000 in funding for select clinics.
Parkinson Voice Project provides continuous support to all SPEAK OUT! providers with access to an eLibrary filled with therapy workbooks and flashcards, as well as with free daily online SPEAK OUT! Home Practice sessions for their patients. The SPEAK OUT! continuing education course is in English, but therapy materials have been translated into Spanish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, and Japanese. Parkinson Voice Project is currently translating its therapy materials into Portuguese and Arabic as well.
$20 Million Campaign to Reach America
For the first time this year, Parkinson Voice Project is offering grants to support U.S. universities that want to be named as “SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Centers.” These Centers will replicate Parkinson Voice Project’s no-charge, online therapy program. Centers will receive free SPEAK OUT! training for all their speech pathology faculty and graduate students, along with up to $50,000 in support. At this time, the nonprofit will award only one such grant per state, starting with 12 states in 2023.
All grant recipients will be announced on World Parkinson’s Day, April 11, 2023. Full details about the grants can be found on the Parkinson Voice Project website.
About SPEAK OUT!
SPEAK OUT! was developed by Parkinson Voice Project and is based on principles of motor learning and teachings of the late Daniel R. Boone, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. This renowned speech-language pathologist, voice expert, and former president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recognized that individuals with Parkinson’s could improve their communication by “speaking with intent.” He made this discovery in the late 1950s while working with a neurologist at Highland View Hospital in Cleveland. When he had his patients count from one to 15, their speech could barely be heard or understood. When these same patients counted backward, their speech was louder, clearer, and more expressive. Dr. Boone realized when people with Parkinson’s “speak with intent,” they are activating a motor system that is not as dependent on dopamine. “Speaking with intent” is a cornerstone of the SPEAK OUT! therapy approach.
Parkinson Voice Project’s comprehensive speech therapy program combines interlocking components, including education for both the patient and family, individual speech therapy, a specialized workbook, weekly speech and singing group sessions, daily practice, and frequent re-evaluations. People with Parkinson’s who adhere to the SPEAK OUT! protocol have been shown to maintain their treatment results for 10+ years and counting
About Parkinson Voice Project
Parkinson Voice Project is a nonprofit speech therapy clinic specializing in the treatment of speech disorders related to Parkinson’s and related movement disorders. Parkinson Voice Project treats people with Parkinson’s living in Texas from its clinic in Richardson, Texas. Their clinical team has also trained nearly 6,000 speech-language pathologists across the U.S. and abroad in their SPEAK OUT therapy program. Since 2008, the clinic has not charged for its services and relies on charitable gifts and pay-it-forward donations from program participants. Parkinson Voice Project maintains a score of 100 on CharityNavigator.org. To learn more, visit www.ParkinsonVoiceProject.org.