A friend of mine has a two year old with a recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. I asked her how it felt to have her child labeled autistic. Was it scary? Was it a relief to have a name attached to his symptoms? Did it help with funding for services? Her...
A swallowing problem which includes aspiration is a fear of many individuals with a neurodegenerative disease diagnosis such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD) or related disorders such as PSP or MSA. (pulmonary aspiration is defined as the entry of material (saliva,...
Behavioral speech therapy interventions for individuals with Parkinson’s disease typically focus on increasing the amplitude of voice and speech production. Most patients’ typical response to an increase in loudness during the early weeks of therapy is almost always a...
I have been wondering what it is about exercising that so many people resist. From time to time I have patients look me squarely in the eye and admit that it’s unlikely they will perform any recommended exercise once they leave my office. Now, while I appreciate...
Dyskinesia (uncontrolled involuntary movements that can look like fidgeting or swaying of arms, legs, oral-facial, or trunk muscles) are unfortunately a common experience for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Dyskinesia are associated with long term use of...
At last week’s weekly speech class, The LOUD Crowd, I asked each of the members to share a communication challenge and a goal for improvement. Interestingly, 6/12 people reported “anxiety” as a major contributor to their speech and communication difficulties. Anxiety,...
