How LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG therapists work together to provide interprofessional care for people with Parkinson’s disease

Do your speech, physical, and occupational therapy rehab teams have loosely coordinated goals for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but no real synergy? Are treatments given in isolation with little to no therapeutic collaboration? Are you a private practitioner without access to rehab colleagues?

Our multidisciplinary team recently addressed these questions (and more) during a live chat hosted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The full transcript of the chat session, including access to multiple resources, is openly available at the link below. Review the conversation and learn more!

View the Live Chat and Resources Here

As part of our LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG interdisciplinary exploration, we conducted an interview of the rehabilitation team at the Dan Aaron Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Center, Good Shepherd Penn Partners at PAH, Philadelphia. The team we interviewed consisted of:

Heather Cianci, PT, MS, GCS, Physical Therapist

Meredith Pauly, MA, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist

Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist

Browse our short interview video segments below and learn how this highly skilled team effectively and efficiently provides interdisciplinary care to people with Parkinson’s disease at their center. Click on the question of interest and view the video response. 

Introduction to the Expert Team

What are the benefits of shared goals?

How was interdisciplinary care at your clinic before LSVT?

How do you work together to support education and calibration for people with Parkinson's?

How was interdisciplinary care at your clinic before LSVT?

What are your best practices for communication among colleagues?

What have your learned from other professions on your team?

What is an example of a shared goal across disciplines that you have each had a role in implementing for a person with Parkinson’s disease?

Can you get all three disciplines paid for through insurance or Medicare? (Yes!)

Why is it so important for the SLP to be involved when PTs and OTs want to incorporate “LOUD” talking?

What is the Allied Team Training for Parkinson’s (ATTP) program?

LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG are effective speech, physical and occupational therapy protocols developed and researched for people with PD. These treatments are unique in that each discipline targets the same underlying movement scaling deficits and promotes sensory recalibration in people with PD. This allows therapists to work on common therapeutic goals across disciplines – providing an excellent model for true interprofessional collaboration.