Allyson Page, PhD

Associate Professor

allyson.page@uwo.ca
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Education

  • PhD (Western University)
  • MSc (Western University)
  • BSc Honors (Queen's University)

Graduate Program Supervision

  • Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Speech and Language Science MSc | PhD

Research In Profile

Professor Allyson Page focuses her program of research on advancing our understanding of speech intelligibility, psychosocial outcomes, and communicative participation in adults with degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and oromandibular dystonia (OMD), as well as in adults with velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). Using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, her work is grounded in multidimensional and patient-centred approaches that seek to capture the complex relationships that influence communication outcomes.

The theoretical foundation for her research is informed by the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework, which emphasizes the dynamic interactions among impairments, activities, participation, and contextual factors. This framework guides her investigation into how speech impairments affect everyday communication and quality of life, and how environmental and personal factors can act as barriers or facilitators to communicative participation.

A central focus of her research focuses on dysarthria, a motor speech disorder. The majority of her work examines two primary types: (1) hypokinetic dysarthria associated with Parkinson’s disease, which represents one of the most common adult-onset dysarthrias, and (2) hyperkinetic dysarthria associated with oromandibular dystonia, an under-investigated yet theoretically important disorder that broadens our understanding of dysarthric speech production. More recently, she has extended her research program to include adults with velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), further contributing to the study of disordered speech production and communicative participation across diverse clinical populations.

Across all lines of inquiry, her research seeks to advance understanding and elucidate the relationships among speech production, psychosocial functioning, and communicative participation. Through this integration, her work contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of neurologically and structurally based speech disorders. It also informs holistic, patient-centred approaches to assessment and intervention that prioritizes the lived experiences and communication needs of individuals with dysarthria and velopharyngeal dysfunction.

Featured Publications and Projects

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals


  • Page, A.D., Mancinelli, C., Theurer, J., Jog, M. & Adams, S.G. (2025). Exploring the stability of communicative participation in individuals with hypophonia and Parkinson’s disease. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 34(4S), 2425-2439.
  • Page, A.D., Dworschak-Stokan, A., & Husein, M. (2024). Evaluating communication apprehension in adolescent and adult speakers with velopharyngeal insufficiency. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 48(2), 77-84.
  • Page, A.D., Schroeder, J.R., Knowles, T., Jog, M., & Adams, S.G. (2023). A Comparison of Voice Amplifiers and Personal Communication Systems for Hypophonia: An Exploration of Communicative Participation. American journal of speech-language pathology, 1–16. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00161
  • Page, A.D. & Yorkston, K.M. (2022). Communicative participation in Dysarthria: Perspectives for Management. Brain Sciences, 12(4), 420-432. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12040420 
    Page, A.D.    , Elhayek, N.,Baylor, C., Adams, S., Jog, M. & Yorkston, K.M. (2021). The psychosocial impacts of BoNT injections for individuals with OMD: A qualitative study of patients’ experiences. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(3S), 1314-1328.
  • Wilson, C., Page, A.D., & Adams, S.G. (2020). Listener ratings of effort, speech intelligibility, and loudness of individuals with PD and hypophonia. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 44(2), 33-48.
  • Domingo, Y., Page, A.D., Adams, S.G, & Jog, M. (2019). Examining the speech intelligibility of individuals with oromandibular dystonia receiving botulinum toxin: a series of cases. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 43(3), 153-165.
  • Page, A.D., Siegel, L. & Jog, M. (2017). Self-rated communication-related quality of life of individuals with oromandibular dystonia receiving botulinum toxin injections. American Journal of Speech- Language Pathology, 26, 674-681.
  • Page, A.D. & Siegel, L. (2017). Perspectives on the Psychosocial Management of Oromandibular Dystonia. Seminars in Speech and Language, 38(3), 173-183. (Invited article)
  • Dykstra, A.D. (Page), Domingo, Y., Adams, S.G. & Jog, M. (2016). Examining speech intelligibility and self-ratingsof communicative effectiveness in speakers with oromandibular dystonia receiving botulinum toxin therapy. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 39(4), 334-345.

Visit Google Scholar for a comprehensive list of publications.

Featured Graduate Student Projects

  • Emily Golding, (2024 – present). A scoping review of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) used in the assessment of adults with acquired dysarthria, categorized according to the ICF conceptual framework. MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field), Faculty of Health Sciences.
  • Morgan Flanagan, (2024 – present). How are we Measuring Communicative Participation in Velopharyngeal Insufficiency: A Scoping Review of speech outcomes. MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field), Faculty of Health Sciences.
  • Shajaky Parameswaran, (2024 – present). A scoping review of the benefits and challenges of speech therapy in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and hypokinetic dysarthria. MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field), Faculty of Health Sciences.
    Under the Section: Research Funding

Exploring the Temporal Variability of Speech Intensity, Speech Intelligibility, and Communicative Participation in Individuals with Hypophonia and Parkinson’s Disease.

  • Mancinelli, Cynthia (2019). MClSc/PhD combined degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders and, Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

A comparison of voice amplifiers and personal communication systems in individuals with hypophonia: an exploration of communicative participation.

  • Schroeder, Jessi-Rae (2022). MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

Exploring The Psychosocial Impact Of Botulinum Toxin Type-A Injections For Individuals With Oromandibular Dystonia: A Qualitative Study Of Patients' Experiences.

  • Elhayek, Nada (2019). MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

The Consequences of Oromandibular Dystonia on Communicative Participation: A Qualitative Study of the Insider's Experiences.

  • Siegel, Lauren (2016). MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field).

The effect of botulinum toxin type A on speech intelligibility in oromandibular dystonia.

  • Domingo, Ysabel (2014).MSc in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Speech and Language Science field), Faculty of Health Sciences.

Visit Scholarship@Western for a list of completed student theses and dissertations in the repository.

Additional Information

Research Funding

  • WSS SSHRC Seed Grant
    Understanding Communicative Participation in Adults with Velopharyngeal Inadequacy
    PI: Allyson Page
  • Parkinson Canada, Patient Engagement in Research Grant
    Communicative Participation in Parkinson’s Disease: Amplifying Lived Experiences through Video Narratives
    PI: Allyson Page

Academic Appointments and Research Affiliations

  • Graduate Program Chair, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (2024 - present)
  • Director, Communicative Participation Lab
  • Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Centre

Awards

  • Awarded ASHA 2022 Meritorious Poster Submission for poster entitled: A comparison of voice amplifiers and personal communication systems for hypophonia: an exploration of communicative participation.
  • Western University, Faculty of Health Sciences – Recognition of Excellence: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • Western University, Faculty of Health Sciences – Top 10% Departmental Ranking – Recognition of Excellence for Teaching: 2014-15