On October 16, 2019, we will host our first LOUD Crowd® group for people with Parkinson’s Disease. We are eager to get going with all of the materials provided through the grant offered by Parkinson Voice Project. The LOUD Crowd® is a weekly group therapy program for maintenance of strong voice learned in the SPEAK OUT!® program for individuals. For more information please call us at 630-435-5622 or email us at info@thesoundcenter.com.
The Sound Center, Inc. has received a grant from Parkinson Voice Project. This grant will help bring the SPEAK OUT!® and LOUD Crowd® therapy programs to our area in the western suburbs of Chicago.
The Parkinson Voice Project’s mission is “to preserve the voices of individuals with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders through intensive speech therapy, follow-up support, research, education, and community awareness.” This nonprofit organization, located in Richardson, Texas, aims to replicate their highly effective therapy programs throughout the world.
The therapy program involves two important steps: First, patients participate in SPEAK OUT!®, an intensive one-on-one experience. Exercises for speech, voice and cognition are completed. Secondly, patients participate in the LOUD Crowd®. Participants work on their skills in a group setting. They also share information and experience camaraderie and accountability.
The Sound Center, Inc. is accepting clients who want to get started with the highly effective SPEAK OUT!® and LOUD Crowd® therapy programs now! Contact us for more information or to schedule a session. We accept Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO. Other insurance providers may also offer benefits for this treatment. Give us a call at 630-435-5622 or send us a message here.
Researchers have found biomarkers in the voice that identify certain diseases, including mental health disorders, central nervous system problems, and even heart issues!
What can be detected in a voice? Emotions? Our physical state? Our level of confidence? Yes to all!
Makes sense, right? If we feel sanguine or sad, others know it after only hearing us speak a few words. Likewise, if we are worn out or wired, self-assured or filled with self-doubt, our voices tell the tale.
But would you believe that researchers are exploring ways that our voices can indicate disorders and diseases? They have identified people with post-traumatic stress disorder, coronary artery diesase, Parkinson’s disease, depression, and other problems. They use voice biomarkers, which are acoustic measures of the voice signal.
As you talk to Siri or Alexa, consider that someday your voice might be used as a key indicator of your health. Currently, you may use your voice to initiate web searches, operate devices, and connect with others. But imagine that for a routine physical, you have blood drawn, vitals taken, and finally, submit a voice sample for acoustic analysis!
I am an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) passionate about voice. Over the years, I have investigated a dizzying number of acoustic voice measures. But even with all of this data, we have yet to find definitive identifiers of specific voice disorders. However, SLPs are often the first professionals to suspect neurological diseases like Parkinson’s. We are experienced in listening to the voice characteristics that often accompany this disease: For instance, we may notice fast rushes of speech, reduced loudness, and reduced precision of articulation that are hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease. We have been trained to use our ears for this rather than acoustic analysis.
Therefore, I wonder about the measures used in the studies mentioned above. I will be diving deeper into the research, and will tell you more as I learn.
As a footnote, if you or a loved one has speech or voice concerns, contact us. We accept Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and are experts in treating many speech and voice problems, including Parkinson’s disease. Read more about Speak OUT!™, the highly effective therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
There’s a strong new voice for people who have multiple sclerosis or spasmodic dysphonia. This voice belongs to the talented actress, Selma Blair. She was recently interviewed by Robin Robinson on Nightline and Vanity Fair magazine. She certainly had a lot to say about living with MS and SD, being authentic, and learning to see others with compassion.
Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a voice disorder that originates in the brain. It causes spasms in the larynx which interrupt the voice. As a result, the voice may sound breathy or strained and choppy. It can also sound variably breathy and strained, depending on the type of SD. You can listen to examples of different types of spasmodic dysphonia at the website for the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association here. Also, if you listen to the Selma Blair interview, you will hear the undulating sound of her voice, which is likely a vocal tremor. Vocal tremor is common in people with SD, and occurs in about one third of people with SD.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder that can cause a wide range of symptoms. Selma Blair calls it a “snowflake disease;” this is because MS is different in everyone who has it. While voice problems can occur, many people with MS have normal voices. Much more information about MS is available at the website of the National MS Society here.
It’s well worth your time to watch the Robin Robinson interview and read the Vanity Fair article.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a voice change, disorder, or difficulty, contact us, We want to hear your story, provide resources, and help in any way we can.
You may not realize it, but you do have an accent. We all have accents. If you have traveled even within your own country you have probably noticed differences in the speech patterns of others, and they have probably noticed yours. The sounds and patterns of our speech constitute our accent.
At The Sound Center, we work with many people who want to modify their accents. Some want to be more intelligible using American English. However, most want to preserve their native sound to some degree.
Do you speak with a foreign accent in respect to those around you? Accents can cause communication breakdowns, but they also can be beneficial. If you speak with an accent, you immediately tell those around you that you speak more than one language. It is likely that people who speak American English are monolingual. But by speaking just a few words, you are telling people that you have experiences beyond the US. These experiences have shaped you and made you unique, cosmopolitan, and bilingual…or multilingual.
You may have to repeat yourself frequently. You may experience communication breakdowns. Everyone does. The way you deal with them will influence whether your accent benefits you or not. When someone asks you what you said, the natural direct response is simply to repeat what you said. You may repeat yourself more slowly or clearly, and that may suffice. Another strategy is to rephrase your message; Use different words to say the same thing. This takes a bit more thinking but can be much more effective. You can increase your chance of success if you can control the environment: minimize background noise and distractions. If you cannot, move closer to your listener and maximize eye contact.
Another challenge is managing the perceptions of others if you make pronunciation or grammatical errors. Being proactive in acknowledging your errors is a mark of a great communicator and a mature individual. Using humor can be very effective. Of course you have an accent. Of course you will make mistakes. Seek to deliver your message instead of seeking perfection.
In the global marketplace, people are becoming increasingly accustomed to various accents. They are getting better at comprehending them. This is good news, but the best communicators realize that although communication is a two-way street, you can only control yourself. If an accent is standing between you and success, contact us. We’d love to help.
