Amanda Jolley, a speech-language pathologist, who has been treating adults for speech therapy for seven years, began working at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital two years ago. Her work at the hospital includes patients suffering from neurological disorder. She sees these individuals on an outpatient basis and treats those who have suffered strokes or traumatic brain injury, or have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis.
Last year Jolley completed training in the LOUD program which is a speech treatment primarily for individuals with Parkinson disease. This therapy works on improving enunciation, facial expressions and impaired swallowing. Treatment consists of four individual one-hour sessions, four times a week. Jolley has been using LOUD therapy for over a year.
“I love the LOUD therapy,” said Jolley. “I’ve seen all of my LOUD patients improve.”
Jolley says that published research data on the LOUD program support improvements for patients with Parkinson’s disease with better vocal loudness, intonation and voice quality. The data note that these improvements have been maintained for up to two years after the therapy sessions.
The therapy consists of 16 one-hour treatment sessions (four times a week for four weeks). Although the therapy is considered intense, it is critical in attaining the best possible results.
As a full-time speech-language pathologist, Jolley evaluates and diagnoses speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders. She works with a team that includes a physician, audiologist, psychologist, social worker, and rehabilitation counselor.
“I don’t just work on speech,” she said. “I treat memory, problem solving, I give strategies to slow the progress of dementia and I work with families on learning to communicate again with their loved ones.”
Jolley mostly works with older patients except in cases of traumatic brain injury, which is caused by external force, such as a violent jolt or blow to the head or body. Her traumatic brain injury patients range from teens to adults.
Jolley became interested in becoming a speech-language pathologist after taking American Sign Language (ASL) courses in high school and after taking an introductory class to speech-language pathology in college. She graduated from University of the Pacific with a bachelor of science in Speech-Language Pathology and obtained a masters of sciences in Speech-Language Pathology from University of Arizona.
Now certified in the LOUD program as well, Jolley enjoys helping all of her patients and seeing them improve. “It’s rewarding to see a patient get better over the course of therapy, whether it is their voice getting louder, being able to pay their bills, driving a car or communicating with friends and family,” Jolley said. “I love helping people get their lives back.”
Anyone interested in enrolling into the LOUD program must have a referral from their family medicine physician sent to the Rehabilitation Services Department at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.
Robin Montgomery 