I recently wrote about the dangers of aspiration pneumonia (click!). Today I am writing about a related, more uplifting phenomenon: The SPEAK-OUT! Therapy Program, which aims to help people with Parkinson’s and associated neurological disorders regain and retain their speech and swallowing abilities. I know first hand how important this is, as the training sessions will not only get you to speak more loudly and clearly (yes, I’m guilty of having Parkinson’s soft voice and not doing much about it), but have you better control how you swallow, which can be life-saving.
The program offers free lessons online and at a central location in every state of the USA. The 30-minute online sessions happen every day, Monday thru Friday, at 11:00 Eastern (New York) Time, and once a week they have a group online singing program, (Thurs., 11:30 – 12:00 noon, Eastern Time).
Here is their website: https://parkinsonvoiceproject.org/. I suggest you visit the site, begin by clicking the “Education and Training” drop-down menu, and watch the video on the first item on the menu, “Learn About Parkinson’s Webinar.” A major takeaway for me concerns the concept of “intent,” meaning that when you speak you do so with intent, that is, you intentionally speak more loudly and distinctly. This sounds like a no-brainer initially, but I can see a huge difference when I do it at home.
After you’ve done that, you’ll be ready to click around on the second drop-down menu (“Our Program”) and dive into the collection of recent online speaking and singing sessions.
Just remember to click with intent!
