GREENVILLE, Pa.—The Thiel Center for Speech-Language Services at Thiel College recently received a grant worth $25,000 and is working with a nationally recognized Parkinson’s Disease program to offer free specialized speech therapy services to anyone in the area.
The SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program, developed by Parkinson Voice Project, is a research evidence-based program helping individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders regain and retain their speech and swallowing. The closest programs, before Thiel’s announcement, were an hour or more away from Greenville.
According to information from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, estimates suggest that Parkinson’s affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 6 million people worldwide.
“Up to 90 percent of people with Parkinson’s are at risk of losing their ability to speak. In addition, swallowing complications account for 70 percent of the mortality rate in this patient population. Our vision at Parkinson Voice Project is to make quality speech therapy accessible to people with Parkinson’s worldwide,” Samantha Elandary, Parkinson Voice Project’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, said.
Committed to serving its Parkinson’s community, the Thiel Center secured a grant that provided the speech-language pathology clinical educators and graduate student clinicians with formal training to deliver the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program.
SPEAK OUT! is based on principles of motor learning. Patients learn to convert speech from an automatic function to an intentional act. The program combines education for the patient and family, individual speech therapy, daily home practice using workbooks, flashcards, and online practice sessions, weekly speech and singing groups, and regular re-evaluations.
“We are very excited that we can now offer this service to the local community who would otherwise have to travel more than an hour to other licensed providers. This program expands our available interventions for this population of patients which also include the use of the SpeechVive, a wearable speech device allowing patients with Parkinson’s Disease to speak louder and more clearly,” Julie Kobak, Director of The Thiel Center for Speech-Language Services, said.
All services provided by the center are free of charge. For more information, contact the Thiel Center for Speech-Language Services to schedule a speech and swallowing evaluation: 724-589-2020.
About The Center for Speech-Language Services
Located on the Thiel College campus, The Center for Speech-Language Services is a free community resource for individuals with communication needs and their families while providing Thiel Communication Sciences and Disorders/Speech-Language Pathology students experiential learning opportunities to gain important knowledge on evidence-based practice across the speech-language pathology scope of practice, lifespan, and with diverse populations.
About Parkinson Voice Project
Parkinson Voice Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization solely dedicated to helping people with Parkinson’s regain and retain their speech and swallowing. The organization provides SPEAK OUT! Workbooks, online SPEAK OUT! Home Practice Sessions, and even a weekly Parkinson’s Sing-Along to complement the speech therapy they will receive at The Thiel Center for Speech-Language Services.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.
