CANANDAIGUA – UR Medicine Thompson Health speech-language pathologists are now offering SPEAK OUT!®, a therapeutic protocol developed by the Parkinson Voice Project to improve and preserve the voices of individuals with Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson-plus syndromes.
During 12 individual speech therapy sessions, the patient and the speech-language pathologist work their way through a series of speech, voice, and cognitive exercises outlined in a comprehensive workbook. The program encourages patients to “speak with intent,” in a confident and deliberate fashion. Speaking with intent bypasses the neuropathways impaired by Parkinson’s disease, resulting in a stronger, clearer voice. The practice tasks can also strengthen the muscles used in swallowing. This lessens the risk of aspiration, which is common with Parkinson’s disease.
Those interested in this therapy – which is covered by insurance – must first get a script from their doctor for a speech evaluation. For more information, call the Department of Speech Pathology at Thompson Health at (585) 396-6057 or go to www.parkinsonvoiceproject.org/SPEAKOUT.
To schedule an evaluation, call Thompson Health Rehabilitation Services at (585) 396-6050.