05/12/2026
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. Here's how a trained speech therapist helped one of our neighbors, Jeff! ⬇️
Living with Parkinson’s disease can slowly change everyday life. For Jeff, one of the hardest changes was losing his voice.
Before joining the SPEAK OUT!® program at Wamego Health Center Heartland Rehabilitation, Jeff began to notice problems with his speech. His voice was getting softer. He started stammering. Sometimes he could not find the right word. He would drop the ends of sentences without meaning to.
Over time, it became harder to join conversations or speak up when something important needed to be said.
Jeff felt frustrated and discouraged. The more he struggled to talk, the worse it seemed to get. He began pulling back from social situations. He stopped wanting to go to church. Group settings felt overwhelming. Even family conversations became difficult.
He kept asking himself Why me? Was this just another Parkinson’s “gift”?
Then another challenge appeared.
Jeff began having trouble eating and swallowing. He could not finish a meal unless he took very small bites. He struggled with saliva and drooling. Swallowing no longer felt natural. It was one more reminder that Parkinson’s was changing his life.
Thankfully, Jeff began speech therapy with Kate Conwell at Wamego Health Center in Wamego, Kansas. She introduced him to the SPEAK OUT!® program, a specialized speech therapy approach designed specifically for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
SPEAK OUT!® was developed by Parkinson Voice Project, a nonprofit organization founded in 2005. The program is based on research showing that people with Parkinson’s can improve speech and swallowing by speaking with strong, intentional effort. Through guided speech therapy sessions and daily home practice, participants retrain their brains to speak with purpose and clarity. The program focuses on “speaking with intent,” which helps strengthen the voice and supports safer swallowing.
At first, Jeff was skeptical. Kate explained that the program required daily practice and working through a structured workbook. It sounded rigorous. But Jeff was ready to try anything that might help.
Kate became a true lifeline during this time.
Jeff committed himself fully. He worked through each lesson with determination. He completed every exercise that was prescribed. In the beginning, he did not notice much change. But slowly, week by week, something shifted.
He began speaking louder. He spoke with more purpose and intent. He practiced swallowing intentionally when prompted during the lessons. As the weeks passed, his voice grew stronger and clearer. He spoke with more authority.
One powerful moment convinced Jeff that the SPEAK OUT!® program was truly working.
At the start of the program, Kate recorded him reading a story aloud using his best voice. At the end of the workbook, she recorded him reading the same story again. When they compared the two recordings, Jeff was amazed. He barely recognized the first recording. The difference was that dramatic.
After completing the program, the expectation was to continue daily practice. That was the hardest part. But Jeff stayed committed. He continues to practice regularly and use what he learned in SPEAK OUT!® in his daily life.
“Intentional” became his watchword. He repeats it often, sometimes quietly to himself. He knows he must think about swallowing because it no longer happens automatically. When he notices his voice getting softer, he reminds himself to truly speak out.
Today, Jeff finds it much easier to participate in social situations. He is even considering reading again at church — something that once felt impossible.
Of course, with Parkinson’s, there are times when medication is wearing off or when stress increases, and the words do not come easily. But now Jeff has tools to combat those moments. He knows what to do. He knows how to respond.
Was the SPEAK OUT!® program successful?
For Jeff, it made all the difference.
Through the guidance and support of Kate Conwell and the team at Wamego Health Center Heartland Rehabilitation, Jeff regained more than just volume in his voice. He regained confidence, connection, and a part of himself.
For anyone living with Parkinson’s disease and struggling with speech or swallowing difficulties, Jeff’s story is proof that help is available — and that it is possible to find your voice again.
𝘚𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘒 𝘖𝘜𝘛!® 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥.
