Galloway, N.J. — The Speech and Hearing Clinic at Stockton University will provide free therapy to people with Parkinson’s Disease through a five-year grant totaling $280,000 from the Parkinson’s Voice Project in April.

“Parkinson’s Voice Project is proud to partner with Stockton University to help individuals with Parkinson’s across the state regain and retain their speech and swallowing abilities,” said Samantha Elandary, founder and CEO of the Texas-based nonprofit.

Parkinson’s Disease is the world’s fastest growing neurological disorder and the second-most prevalent brain disease in the United States.

There are SPEAK OUT! centers in 28 states throughout the country with the goal to make SPEAK OUT! Therapy accessible to every American. Parkinson’s Voice Project chose Stockton as New Jersey’s SPEAK OUT! Therapy and Research Center.

Through the center, which will be located at the university’s existing clinic at 10 W. Jimmie Leeds Road in Galloway, all New Jerseyans will be able to receive in-person and remote speech treatment at no cost. The center will also provide research and clinical opportunities for Stockton students.

“We are just over the moon with the excitement the possibilities of this,” said Kelly Maslanik, a clinical specialist in Stockton’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program. She will run the center with Assistant Professor Michelle Swartz. They hope to start seeing patients this summer.

“We want to make this a warm and wonderful place, not only for the patients, but for our students and for the community,” Maslanik said.

For those with Parkinson’s some automatic bodily functions, such as speaking and swallowing, become difficult over time. Maslanik said the SPEAK OUT! therapy program focuses on rewiring the person’s brain to make those things more intentional.

“We try to reframe the way that they do things, so when they’re swallowing, they’re focused on making it the best swallow it can be to prevent other medical issues from happening,” Maslanik said.

Ninety percent of people with Parkinson’s are at risk of losing their ability to speak, and swallowing complications are the main cause of death for those with the disease.

Swartz, whose grandfather had Parkinson’s, said one of the benefits of the SPEAK OUT! program is that not only will patients get one-on-one training either in-person or online, but they will also be a part of a small group or community to support each other.

“A lot of programs like this do treat Parkinson’s for speech and swallowing and you go in for a certain number of sessions and then that’s it. Then it’s up to you if you need a refresher,” she said. “But what we know from Parkinson’s is that patients often don’t notice. With this program, you don’t leave unless you choose to. There’s always practice. There are always eyes on them. There’s always someone there for support.”

Elandary said one of the reasons Stockton was chosen was the fact that the clinic can provide services in both English and Spanish, and because of the university’s location can serve patients in both urban and rural areas of New Jersey.

“In addition, their high interest in conducting and publishing longitudinal studies to assess treatment outcomes and the impact of the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program on the social and emotional well-being of individuals with Parkinson’s was impressive,” Elandary said.

The opportunity to do research and provide real-word opportunities for graduate students in Stockton’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program is a major component of the grant.

“The majority of our clients in the clinic are pediatric,” Maslanik said. “This will give our students a therapy, treatment and intervention piece with adults. Now, we’ll be able to provide those adult experiences at an earlier stage in their learning and be able to have all of those foundational pieces start to mesh with learning in the classroom. This new endeavor will definitely open up a whole new learning chapter for them.”

In addition to providing the training to faculty and graduate students, Parkinson’s Voice Project will also fund trips for Stockton faculty and students to its headquarters in Richardson, Texas, each June over the next five years for additional training in online treatment delivery, research and business efficiency, Elandary said.

““This is an exciting opportunity for the Stockton Speech Clinic,” said Brent Arnold, the dean of Stockton’s School of Health Sciences. “It truly elevates our ability to provide speech services to the citizens of New Jersey and expands our capability to prepare students for impactful careers.” 

— Story by Mark Melhorn, photos by Susan Allen