This is the fourth year the Center has been named a Parkinson Voice Project grant recipient. The grant funds staff training and resources for the Center to offer a speech intervention program tailored to individuals with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

As part of the grant program, the Center’s state-licensed and nationally certified speech-language pathologists and Southeast graduate students receive training in the SPEAKOUT!® Live with Intent program to provide this intervention at no cost, including the therapy program and a workbook of speech exercises.

"The Parkinson's Voice Project reports that up to 90% of people with Parkinson’s are at high risk of losing their ability to speak and swallowing complications account for 70% of the mortality rate in this patient population," said Amy Herren, clinic coordinator. "This grant allows the Center to provide an effective speech therapy program to our local and regional community members and to provide specialized training to Southeast graduate students who can use these skills after graduating in areas across Missouri and the U.S."

Participation in the program consists of two to three individual one-hour appointments per week for three to four weeks. Additionally, the Center’s flexible scheduling service can work with the needs of each individual. A doctor’s order is not required.

Once an individual has completed SPEAKOUT!®, they are invited to participate in free follow-up sessions of The LOUD Crowd®, a social group promoting maintenance of therapy gains and community support. This service also provides all print materials.

To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact Southeast’s Center for Speech and Hearing, at (573) 651-2050.

About the Parkison's Voice Project:

Parkinson's Voice Project is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the world solely dedicated to
helping individuals with Parkinson’s improve their speech and swallowing. The organization runs a
speech therapy clinic in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and hosts the world’s largest Parkinson’s chorus. Parkinson Voice Project’s hosts daily online speech practice sessions to support and encourage people
with Parkinson’s globally. These sessions are available on the organization’s website.

Parkinson Voice Project has trained more than 3,500 speech-language pathologists in its grant program, including clinicians in Australia, Canada, Israel, Italy, Greece, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

A full listing of the 2021 grant recipients can be found here.