Lee Silverman Voice Treatment
Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) is a highly researched and effective speech
therapy for people with Parkinson’s Disease and other progressive neurological diseases.
Due to their condition, patients with Parkinson’s Disease often speak softly and
in a monotone. Their voices become breathy or hoarse. Speech becomes less articulate.
These changes, along with lessened facial expressions, make communication difficult.
LSVT centers on a simple goal: Speak louder. This target triggers increased effort
and coordination of the physical and mental systems that help a patient speak. Through
a series of exercises, a patient learns to cue the adequate amount of loudness to
make his speech understood without straining his voice.
The treatment with a speech therapist is conducted in sixteen 60-minute sessions
over a month. Studies have shown LSVT to significantly improve communication skills
for up to five years.
LSVT can:
- Improve voice volume and quality
- Improve intonation and articulation
- Improve ability to self-generate speech at an appropriate volume
- Help patients
feel more effective and emotionally engaged in their speaking