Re: Speech Pathology

[Jerry Manning <mannings@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>Hi.  I am a graduate student in speech pathology at the University of
>Kentucky.  I am writing a research paper about PD and its effects on the
>voice.  I am trying to prove that speech intervention will improve the PD
>patient's voice in the areas of loudness, pitch and rate.  Does anyone know
>where I can find any research on this topic?  Has anyone ever received any
>speech therapy?  Did it help?  Was the Lee Silverman Technique used?  Have
>any of your doctors recommended speech therapy?  Thank you for your time,
>Mallory Dillon

Dear Malllory- I am a 53 yr old parkinsonian- diagnosed at age 42. I
realized my  speech was becoming affected  early in '98 because so many
people were saying ," sorry , could you  repeat that?" Iasked my doc  if he
could give me a referrral to go to a speech therapist, which he agreed to
do.  I had read alittle about the Lee Silverman approach and asked the
therapist if she had heard of it and indeed  she had as she h ad recently
been to DENVER to be trained in how to use this and I told her I'd like to
try   this method  and so we began. The initial training is quite
intense-5X/ week  - 1 hour /day.  Since that time I have continued on my
own 4 or 5 times a week , 20 minutes long   and periodically touching base
with my speech therapist. Yes, I would have to say it has been very
helpful...so many people have commented how I sound better, clearer.It is
non invasive and i can do it at a time convenient for me, although it is
best  to do during my "off" times. Now friends and fasmily comment on how
good i sound! Good luck to you in your research! ! and would b
glad to help in any way i can.  Let us all know what your research finds
please. Thanks  Patsy manning