Speech & Swallowing

At times, the ability to speak can be negatively affected by parkinson's disease. Such things as reduced volume or monotone pitch can make it difficult to communicate with friends and loved ones. The ability to communicate is at the heart of coping with Parkinson's disease. These links might be a source of comfort.

Parkinson's Disease - Speaking Out "If only we could hear and understand her speech..." This was the expressed wish of the family of Mrs. Lee Silverman, a woman with Parkinson's disease (PD), when I met her in 1986. At that time I was invited to develop an effective speech treatment for individuals with Parkinson's disease at the Lee Silverman Center for Parkinson's Disease in Scottsdale, Arizona.....

Parkinsonian Links - Speech Problems An estimated 60 to 90 percent of people with Parkinson's experience speech problems, according to Margot Zobel. Typical problems include: Reduced volume. This is often the first change in speaking ability. Fading voice. The voice starts out strong but fades as you keep talking. Monotone pitch. The voice lacks variation and expression. Voice quality. The voice sounds hoarse, breathy, or tremulous. Indistinct articulation. Words are slurred, endings are unclear or omitted. Fast rate of speaking. Words are run together without the usual pauses. Unwanted hesitation. The speaker has difficulty initiating speech.

Dysphagia Resource Center Resources for swallowing and swallowing disorders. Includes links to an abundance of web site that contain information regarding swallowing and swallowing disorders. **If you don't know where to start, the recommendation is to go to the Tutorial and Article section as it provides lots of information, which is organized alphabetically.