The Voice – Mary’s Blog
Two Things People with Parkinson’s want you to Know
Each week, on Thursday, I host the LOUD® Crowd, a weekly speech group for persons living with Parkinson’s disease. Our group has been together for nearly 3 years, with many of the members attending weekly since we began, allowing for friendships and trust to evolve....
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New!! Tongueometer Device Measures and Exercises the Tongue
True or False? The tongue is a bundle of muscles important for speech and swallowing. True or False? Tongue strength can be impacted by age, injury, and neurological diseases and disorders. True or False? The Tongueometer (tongue-om-eter, pronounced like...
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Family: the unpaid nurse and therapist at the bedside
In an article posted in Medpage this week, it was reported: employment projections are estimating that the need for registered nurses (RN) will continue to grow rapidly -- at the same time a nurse shortage is expected. The article went on to say that nursing school...
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Hi-VOLT® 4 PD voice-on-light Frequently Asked Questions
The Voice Aerobics Hi-VOLT® 4 PD voice-on-light is a calibrated feedback tool designed to help individuals with hypophonia (too low/soft a voice) increase their vocal intensity, through practice, to a more normal level of loudness. How does it work? The calibrated,...
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Parkinson’s Patients Need Deliberate Practice and Deliberate Play
Most exercise-based speech therapy programs developed for persons with Parkinson’s disease focus on daily home practice as an important component of brain re-training. However, there is also an underlying assumption that individuals with motor speech problems...
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Swallowing-Breathing Coordination in Parkinson’s and Respiratory Muscle Training
Breathing and swallowing share a common pathway, making the timing and co-ordination extremely important. Breathing is inhibited before and during the swallow, and this cessation of breathing is accomplished by closure of the vocal folds, that also serve as the last...
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June is Dysphagia and Aphasia Awareness Month: take the quiz
Dysphagia and Aphasia are sound alike medical terms and the symptoms sometimes occur in the same patient, particularly following a stroke, but while the meanings are quite different, the impact on quality of life is equally devastating for some people. Dysphagia,...
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Drooling: a troublesome problem for some people with Parkinson’s disease
Drooling, can be an embarrassing and annoying problem for individuals with a neurodegenerative disease, and a fairly common complaint I hear from patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is: “I have too much saliva.” Whether the problem is one of excessive saliva or...
read more2019 Scholarship Winner Amy Roth
The Voice Aerobics® graduate student scholarship is awarded annually to a student who demonstrates character traits and intention to make a positive contribution to the field of Speech-Language Pathology. The 2019 recipient is Amy Roth, a graduate student at Cleveland...
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For Better or Worse: Could Speech and Hearing Problems Affect Your Relationships?
Better Hearing and Speech Month Each May, Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication and swallowing disorders and the role ASHA certified Speech-language Pathologists and Audiologists have in providing...
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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 