The Voice – Mary’s Blog
Has Parkinson’s Got Your Speech Caught in a Speed Trap?
Last week while driving home from work on one of my usual routes, I got caught in a speed trap. When I told a few patients about it, no one was surprised, as they have seen me zipping around in my little FIAT. Fortunately, the police officer was kind, and only gave me...
Parkinson’s and Voice: Express Yourself
When you were a child it's likely that your parents told you it was impolite to stare at others, and yet, staring at faces is exactly what I often do. A few years ago while participating in a conference, I conducted a Voice Aerobics® class. The class was well...
“I feel like I’m yelling” a top 10 list of things PWP say in speech therapy
Over 20 years ago I began offering the LSVT® (Lee Silverman Voice treatment) program for persons with Parkinson's disease (PD), and a few years ago Speak OUT! ® an alternate approach to improving speech clarity for persons with Parkinson’s and related diagnosis. For...
Talking and Walking with Parkinson’s in Syncopated Time
Syncopation in musical terms is described as "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm." A placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn't normally occur. (Source Wikipedia) Syncopation is often used by dance teachers to mean...
Speech practice for PWP: Reading aloud and conversational speech similar but different.
Individuals with hypophonia (low voice volume) and/or hypokinetic dysarthria (motor speech changes) resulting from Parkinson’s disease, may benefit from one:one speech therapy, employing a standardized protocol such as LSVT® Loud or SPEAK OUT!®. 30 days of progress...
NEW! English and Country Folk Dancing Charlotte County
Dance Does a Body Good In the late 1990’s I discovered Contra dancing. Contra dancing is a social dance that one can attend with or without a partner. The dancers form sets of two couples in long lines starting from the stage and going down the length of the dance...
Speech and Breathing…are you running out of breath when you speak?
The main function of the respiratory system is to deliver oxygen to the cells of the body and remove carbon dioxide, a by-product of cellular metabolism. The lungs are responsible for pulmonary ventilation, and like bellows on an accordion, expand and relax in...
Speech Therapy: is it medically necessary?
I had a recent patient with a medical diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, who is self-insured with a commercial payer. The payer, like many of them, does not always like to pay for needed services, and in fact looks for ways to NOT pay, despite the high monthly premium...
Parkinson’s: What’s Patience got to do With It?
Several years ago, when hosting monthly podcasts, I interviewed Carol Walton, CEO of the Parkinson Alliance, and Dr. Jeffrey Wertheimer, a neuropsychologist, who helps to design and interpret the Parkinson Alliance surveys which are distributed bi-annually to persons...
Speak Up For Parkinson’s app: Voice Practice that is Free and Meaningful
Speak Up For Parkinson’s app embodies many of the things that individuals with Parkinson’s need to incorporate into daily voice practice, and the audio-visual feedback may help individuals calibrate to a more normal level of loudness.
Mary Spremulli of Voice Aerobics writes a monthly news article in the “Healthy Body” section of Florida Weekly
- July 2018, Healthy Hearing and Speech, cover story – Healthy Body, “Florida Weekly’s monthly guide for healthy people inside and out”
- July 2018 article – Augmented feedback and skill learning help patients recalibrate
Home Programs & Training:
- Voice Aerobics® – 3-Part Workout
- SpeechVive Device for Persons with Parkinson’s
- Lingraphica® Aphasia Communication Device
- Constant Therapy App for aphasia
- Computerized Home Aphasia Therapy Program (CHAT®)
- Passy-Muir® Tracheostomy and Ventilator Swallowing and Speaking Valve
SpeechVive Device for Persons with Parkinson’s
Ask me about your VA benefit for this device!
SPEAK OUT!® Speech Therapy for Parkinson’s patients
Mary Spremulli is Certified in:
Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Treatment (LMRVT) Neurodevelopmental Treatment
A Certified Member of 