21 Jan Parkinson’s Speech Therapy Treatment: It’s More Than Articulation!
Parkinson’s Speech Therapy Treatment Works!
Speech Language Pathologists do more than just help children say their “R’s” correctly! The essence of Speech Therapy is to help a person be the best communicator possible. Therefore, Parkinson’s Speech Therapy plays a vital role helping those with Parkinson’s Disease remain independent with their communication as well as their ability to swallow food and liquids.
Early on, Parkinson’s Disease can affect a person’s voice making it soft or low in amplitude. In addition, their voice may have reduced pitch making a person with Parkinson’s sound monotone. These side effects affect basic communication tasks with others in a noisy area such as a restaurant. Not being able to confidently communicate needs and wants at an audible volume can lead to depression and isolation. At Trio Rehabilitation & Wellness Solutions, our Speech Therapists uses an array of Parkinson’s Speech Therapy techniques to help a person with Parkinson’s Disease, but one in particular is called LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment).
LSVT was named for a woman named Lee Silverman. Silverman, a woman with Parkinson’s, was one of the first people who received effective Parkinson’s Speech Therapy treatment from Dr. Lorraine Ramig, founder of the LSVT program. Today there are two distinct LSVT programs. One is LSVT BIG, used by Physical Therapists to improve mobility and movement used in everyday function. The other is LSVT LOUD, used by Speech Language Pathologists’ to improve communication. Both of these Parkinson’s Speech Therapy programs use evidence-based protocols to address the motor and non-motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s Disease. According to the LSVT website, this concentrated program helps people living with this disease, “rev up their stronger voice with daily practice so they can use it comfortably in daily communication.”
Karen Ross, a Speech Language Pathologists with 25+ years of experience, states, “I’ve had very good results using the LSVT® LOUD program. My clients can be heard and that not only allows them to improve their vocal quality but also their confidence knowing they can converse with their family, their grandchildren, and their doctors.”
Parkinson’s Speech Therapy tips to help communication include:
- Speak slowly and loudly
- Find a place with reduced noise to speak with others
- Check with listeners to assure they understand your speech
- Try using non-verbal gestures to support your speech
- Rest your vocal cords before you go out and speak with others
“I cannot stress the importance of drinking a lot of water and remaining well hydrated when you have Parkinson’s Disease. Many medications used to treat the disease causes dry mouth, which makes speech production even more difficult,” Karen Ross advises.
Having a collaborative team to provide Parkinson’s Speech Therapy at any stage is highly recommended, however, as we have all have heard, early intervention is key. Working with a Speech Language Pathologists soon after diagnosis allows for a person to learn compensatory techniques to manage their speech, swallowing, and cognition throughout all stages of Parkinson’s.