UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic has received a five-year grant that will enable speech language pathologists and graduate student clinicians to provide therapy to people with Parkinson’s Disease. The program is designed to help people retain and/or rebuild speech and voice skills and to reduce life-threatening swallowing complications.
The grant from Parkinson Voice Project provides more than $280,000 in training, services, supplies and equipment over five years. Through this funding, all Pennsylvanians with Parkinson’s Disease will have an opportunity to receive high-quality speech treatment at no cost.
Ninety percent of people with Parkinson’s are at risk of losing their ability to speak, and swallowing complications are the main cause of death in this population. Parkinson’s Disease is the world’s fastest-growing neurological disorder and the second-most prevalent brain disease in the United States.
“We are excited and motivated to serve people with Parkinson's in our community and state to improve their voice and quality of life,” says Anne Marie Kubat, clinic coordinator and associate teaching professor of communication sciences and disorders at Penn State.
Kubat will serve as the clinical lead for the Pennsylvania SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center. SPEAK OUT! is a research-based speech therapy protocol that can also minimize the risk of life-threatening swallowing complications.
Through this grant, Pennsylvanians diagnosed with Parkinson’s, or a related movement disorder, will have the opportunity to receive in-person or online treatment of SPEAK OUT! therapy from the Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic at no cost to patients. This will enable patients who are homebound, do not drive, or who live in rural areas to receive the speech therapy they need while eliminating financial barriers. The University will also conduct research on SPEAK OUT! therapy.
“Being able to communicate effectively is a huge part of staying active and continuing to live life to the fullest with Parkinson’s Disease,” says Nicole Etter, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at Penn State and primary research investigator for the grant. “SPEAK OUT! therapy helps our participants improve their speech and voice so they can continue to live well with Parkinson’s. We are excited for the opportunity to improve clinical education by training our Master’s students to provide SPEAK OUT! therapy, and the ability to offer free speech and voice therapy to anyone in Pennsylvania with Parkinson’s.”
Penn State is one of 16 universities across the country selected this year to receive this grant as part of Parkinson Voice Project’s Campaign to Reach America. “We selected the Penn State Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic because of their compassion and their commitment to serving their Parkinson’s community,” says Samantha Elandary, founder and CEO of Parkinson Voice Project. “These new Therapy & Research Centers will help eliminate the barriers currently preventing thousands of people with Parkinson’s from receiving speech treatment.”
The grants contain a mix of services and benefits, including education and training, speech therapy workbooks and materials, therapy and research supplies and equipment, public relations services, and outreach and patient educational materials over five years. Clinical and research faculty members will travel to Parkinson Voice Project’s headquarters for specialized instruction in SPEAK OUT! therapy and research, as well as efficient business practices and outreach. They will engage in master classes with individuals with Parkinson’s and receive hands-on training. The Texas nonprofit will also provide online training for the rest of the universities’ speech-language pathology clinical and research faculty and all of their graduate students.
Penn State joins 15 other universities, including Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan; Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona; Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas; Eastern Washington University in Spokane, Washington; Georgia Southern University in Savannah, Georgia; Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia; Metropolitan State University of Denver in Denver, Colorado; Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts; Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri; University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York; University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota; University of Nebraska – Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska; University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida; and University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah.