Resources & Facilities

Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Communication Sciences and Disorders Department maintains the Governor George Leader Speech and Hearing Center, a supervised training environment in clinical service delivery, including observation, screening, assessment, counseling, and therapeutic intervention, for communication problems and/or swallowing disorders.

The Communication Sciences and Disorders Department maintains the Governor George Leader Speech and Hearing Center, a supervised training environment in clinical service delivery, including observation, screening, assessment, counseling and therapeutic intervention for communication problems.

Students of PennWest Edinboro’s Communication Sciences and Disorders Department enjoy state-of the-art learning facilities including the Governor George Leader Speech and Hearing Center, located on the second floor of the Jeremy D. Brown Human Services Building. Designed with input from faculty to meet the highly specialized needs of the departments of Nursing and Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Human Services Building opened for classes in January 2011.

The Leader Speech and Hearing Center offers diagnostic and treatment services to individuals of all ages with communication problems affecting speech, language, voice, cognition and fluency. The Center also serves as a training ground for graduate students, who provide services under the direct supervision of licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists. The program is also affiliated with more than 100 internship sites, which partner with the Center to provide the required clinical training for credentialing and independent practice.

The mission of the Leader Speech and Hearing Center is to provide a supervised training environment in clinical service delivery, including observation, screening, assessment, counseling and therapeutic intervention for students in the speech-language pathology degree program.  As a bridge between theory, practice and community, the Leader Center exposes students to a variety of communication disorders, populations, service delivery models, service delivery settings and supervisory styles while providing outreach to those in need of services, regardless of financial ability.

The SPEAK OUT!® and The LOUD Crowd® Programs

PennWest Edinboro’s Governor George Leader Speech and Hearing Center is pleased to offer a two-part speech therapy program to help individuals with Parkinson’s regain and maintain effective communication: SPEAK OUT!® followed by The LOUD Crowd®. 

Speak OUT

SPEAK OUT!® places emphasis on speaking with intent and converting speech from an automatic function to an intentional act. Together, patients, their speech-language pathologist, and a graduate student clinician work through a series of speech, voice, and cognitive exercises outlined in a SPEAK OUT!® Workbook.

The LOUD Crowd

Upon completion of SPEAK OUT!®, patients transition to The LOUD Crowd®. This maintenance program consists of weekly group sessions led by a speech-language pathologist and graduate student clinician. The SPEAK OUT!® exercises are performed, and group members provide support, encouragement, and accountability to one another.

Participation in The LOUD Crowd®, along with daily home practice and six-month re-evaluations, has been shown to help individuals maintain their communication skills throughout the progression of Parkinson’s.

For more information about SPEAK OUT!® and The LOUD Crowd® visit the Parkinson Voice Project at https://www.parkinsonvoiceproject.org/. Or, to schedule a speech evaluation, please call the Leader Center at (814) 732-2433, or email us at leadercenter-edn@pennwest.edu. All services are free of charge to the public.

Contact Us

Governor George Leader Speech and Hearing Center
Jeremy D. Brown Human Services Building, 2nd Floor
215 Scotland Road
Edinboro, PA 16444
Email: leadercenter-edn@pennwest.edu
Phone: 814-732-2433

Cynthia Reyes-Pabon MS, CCC-SLP
Clinic Director
215 Jeremy D. Brown Human Services Building
Email: creyes@pennwest.edu
Phone: 814-732-2164