NYC Gazette

The Katz School’s M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program has been awarded a training grant from the Parkinson Voice Project’s SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program. This initiative is designed to provide students with the necessary skills and certification to address hypokinetic dysarthria, a speech disorder linked with Parkinson's disease.

Katie Threlkeld, a clinical assistant professor and Virtual Clinic coordinator, spearheaded the campaign to secure the grant. Threlkeld expressed, “This is incredibly specialized training—something that typically only comes post-professionally. To offer it to graduate students is rare, and to offer it to patients for free will be transformative.”

The grant facilitates free SPEAK OUT! services through the Katz School Virtual Clinic, available via telehealth in New York for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s and related disorders. This removes many barriers to care like cost and transportation, especially needed during National Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month.

With an estimated 1.5 million Americans living with Parkinson’s disease, the training addresses the prevalent issues of speech and swallowing difficulties. The SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program transforms speech into a conscious act to assist those with motor skill challenges due to Parkinson’s.

The program combines education, various therapy sessions, and ongoing support to empower patients in maintaining communication and swallowing functions. The available 10.5-hour certification, generally for licensed professionals, is now offered to the Katz School’s students. “This allows our students to approach a diagnosis like Parkinson’s with confidence and compassion,” Threlkeld noted.

Students in the program engage in diverse clinical placements across the U.S., increasing the program's reach beyond New York. Threlkeld explained that “with Parkinson’s, we see shuffling in walking, small handwriting, and the same thing happens with speech,” noting that the hallmark of the SPEAK OUT! program—speaking with intent—addresses these motor issues.

The program offers students practical experience with patient care, overseen by licensed speech-language pathologists. It enhances students’ abilities to work in medical settings and provide advocacy for patients, with Dr. Marissa Barrera, program director, emphasizing the blend of academic preparation and clinical practice in the Katz School’s mission.

“This initiative reflects the mission of the Katz School’s Speech-Language Pathology program: to blend rigorous academic preparation with deeply human clinical practice,” said Dr. Barrera.