Objective: Alongside the hallmark features of Parkinson’s disease (PD; tremor, bradykinesia, & rigidity), the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra frequently contributes to depression and reduced motivation in people with PD (Chagraoui, Puginier, & De Deurwaerdère, 2020). While research has broadly explored perspectives of individuals with PD (Yorkston, Baylor, & Britton, 2017) and their family members (Baylor, Cook, & McAuliffe, 2023; Mach et al., 2021) regarding speech therapy for PD, understanding of the specific contextual motivational factors that influence motivation in this population remains limited. Recognizing the considerable impact of motivation on speech therapy outcomes (Finnimore et al., 2024; Kerschan et al., 1998) and the rising incidence of PD (Ben-Shlomo et al., 2024; Ou et al., 2021), this study aims to identify context-specific motivational factors shaping the speech therapy experience for people with PD.

Methods/Design: Participants (n=10) include individuals who are diagnosed with PD/parkinsonism, ages 50 or older, native English speakers, have no comorbid neurological (e.g., stroke) or communication diagnoses (e.g., aphasia), and who have participated in voice/speech therapy within the last 5 years. Participants engaged in one-hour semi-structured qualitative interviews in which they were asked to provide insights into factors influencing their motivation and experience in speech therapy. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) will systematically identify, analyze, and interpret themes within participants’ responses.

Results: Participants shared their perspectives regarding facilitators and barriers to their motivation in speech therapy. At the time of writing, data analysis is ongoing. Preliminary data suggest a preference for functional, person-centered speech tasks and strategies.

Conclusions: Findings will yield valuable insight into the contextual motivational factors that contribute to improved motivation in speech therapy for individuals with PD. These first-person insights may additionally inform speech therapy intervention design considerations (e.g., structure, phrasing of directives) to further enhance existing evidence-based approaches and intervention outcomes.