Speak Out and Loud Crowd Program
What is SPEAK OUT! and LOUD Crowd?
SPEAK OUT! is a therapy regimen tailored to people with Parkinson’s disease to improve their voicing. In this program, speech is transformed from an automatic function to an intentional task. SPEAK OUT! is usually completed in 12 sessions spanning four weeks. In this four-week period, clients report improvement in their speaking, their ability to be heard, and their overall quality of life. Following this, individuals then transition to the LOUD Crowd to maintain skills.
LOUD Crowd is the group therapy portion of the program and meets once weekly. The sessions provide maintenance for skills obtained during SPEAK OUT! and are a source of camaraderie for the members.
The SPEAK OUT! & LOUD Crowd therapy regimens were developed at Parkinson Voice Project in Richardson, TX.
I have Parkinson’s disease. When should I begin seeing a speech therapist?
Existing research indicates about 70-80% of individuals with Parkinson’s disease experience some change in voice, and about 55% experience changes in articulation with disease progression (Miller, 2012). To postpone and prevent this decline, it is optimal to begin speech therapy as soon as possible. Participation in SPEAK OUT! & LOUD Crowd can change the effects that Parkinson’s disease has on your voice, helping achieve full potential.
Miller, N. (2012). Speech, voice and language in Parkinson’s disease: changes and interventions. Neurodegenerative Disease Management, 2(3), 279-289. https://doi.org/10.2217/nmt.12.15
Testimonial From a Program Participant
“I was very fortunate to get connected to Professor Martin. I never thought I needed a program such as SPEAK OUT! but I was wrong. It was clear I needed help with my speech. Sessions with the students were well-planned, fun, and most importantly, helpful. The program has given me confidence to speak more clearly and with intent.
I am very pleased with the progress I have made since our first session. Thank you Professor Martin, Olivia and Sabrina.
I foresee a bright future, helping people with Parkinson’s, for the SLP grad students and SPEAK OUT! at Northeastern’s SLHC.”
-Rob Jacobson, SPEAK OUT! Graduate
What costs are associated with these services?
At present, SPEAK OUT! and LOUD Crowd services are being offered free of cost through participation in a research study investigating the effectiveness of this treatment on speech intelligibility and communicative participation.
Sessions will be conducted by SPEAK OUT! and LOUD Crowd trained graduate student clinicians, under the supervision of licensed and certified speech-language pathologists.
Donations are welcome to help support development and further implementation of this program to all who are interested.
When and where can I receive services?
Please contact Elizabeth Martin, MS, CCC-SLP at the Speech-Language and Hearing Center (SLHC) @ 617-373-6891 or [email protected] to obtain information regarding our next offering. All sessions occur on-site at the SLHC, located in the Behrakis Health Sciences Center on the Boston Northeastern University campus.
For more information
Please contact:
Elizabeth Martin, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language and Hearing Center (SLHC)
