Truman Speech and Hearing Clinic Receives Grant for Parkinson’s Therapy

Parkinson Voice Project has awarded the Truman Speech and Hearing Clinic a 2024 SPEAK OUT! clinical education grant to help clients affected by Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson Voice Project is a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to improving speech and communication in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. The organization is headquartered in Richardson, Texas, and has trained more than 10,000 clinicians in more than 40 countries.

“The faculty and graduate students of the Truman Speech and Hearing Clinic, as well as a trained therapist at Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville, have proudly served individuals in our community who have a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease with SPEAK OUT! since 2019, thanks to consecutive grants,” said Julia Edgar, professor of communication disorders. “Following the completion of SPEAK OUT! clients can maintain and continue their progress while working with others in a weekly SPEAK OUT! group session, which is only provided at the Truman Speech and Hearing Clinic.”

The SPEAK OUT! Grant Program honors the late Daniel R. Boone, Ph.D., a world-renowned speech-language pathologist who recognized in the 1950s that individuals with Parkinson’s disease could improve their communication by “speaking with intent.” Based on Boone’s teachings and developed by Parkinson Voice Project, SPEAK OUT! is a highly effective, comprehensive program that helps people with Parkinson’s disease and related neurological disorders regain and retain their speech and swallowing. By combining individual and group SPEAK OUT! therapy with ongoing patient and family education, people with Parkinson’s disease learn to transition speech from an automatic function to an intentional act.

Grant recipients include hospitals, universities, private practices and other organizations providing speech therapy across the United States and abroad. Each clinical education grant recipient receives training for their speech-language pathologists and students, SPEAK OUT! eLibrary access and the opportunity for SPEAK OUT! workbooks and other materials.

Truman’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, in collaboration with partners at Northeast Regional Medical Center, can provide a structured evaluation to determine if individuals are a good match for the treatment program. Treatment requires eight to 12 sessions spread over four to six weeks, along with daily practice sessions. Due to the progressive nature of Parkinson’s disease, and to maintain the full benefit of the program, joining and participating in a SPEAK OUT! group for ongoing practice is strongly encouraged.

The Speech and Hearing Clinic is located in Truman’s Health Sciences Building. More information about the clinic, including available services, hours and details about making appointments, can be found online or by calling 660.785.7255 or emailing jedgar@truman.edu.