Parkinson Voice Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the voices of people with Parkinson’s, named the Ball State University Speech Pathology Clinic a 2024 SPEAK OUT! Grant Program recipient.

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.

“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,” said Samantha Elandary, Parkinson Voice Project’s founder and chief executive officer. “Our vision at Parkinson Voice Project is to make quality speech therapy accessible to people with Parkinson’s worldwide.”

As a 2024 SPEAK OUT! Grant Program recipient, Ball State is committed to offering Parkinson Voice Project’s SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program to help people with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders in their community.

The Ball State University Speech Pathology Clinic offers the latest evaluation and rehabilitation options. Its goal is to provide quality communication services to individuals who need increased communication skills.

To learn more about the services offered by the Ball State University Speech Pathology Clinic, or to schedule an appointment, call 765-285-8160.

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 could improve their communication by “speaking with intent.”

Based on Boone’s teachings and developed by Parkinson Voice Project, the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program is a highly effective, comprehensive program that helps people with Parkinson’s 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 learn to transition speech from an automatic function to an intentional act.

For information, visit ParkinsonVoiceProject.org.