Overview

Many changes can occur in an individual’s ability to communicate throughout the ALS journey. Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) are often brought in early in the diagnosis in order to provide support and education as well as to monitor and support individuals in learning about the needs that may arise. SLPs can assess swallowing as well as speech, be sure to ask them about AAC early on to ensure that you have the information you need to make a good decision should you need the equipment in the future!

Being proactive will allow you to learn and practice using equipment before it may become the primary mode of communication and environmental control. Being proactive will also allow you to explore voice and message banking, an opportunity to preserve your voice to utilize on a speech device in the future should you need one. The personalization and continued connection to family and loved ones that voice and message banking can provide is often comforting and invaluable to speech device users and communication partners.

What equipment/technology is available?

ALS support is not a one-size fits all which is why we provide a variety of solutions and choices for individuals to try and choose from to ensure comfort and success as daily life needs evolve and change. We offer a wide range of speech generating devices and access methods to those devices, as well as mounting solutions for the devices should there be a wheelchair or other seating modification needed.

Planning

Changes in communication can arise due to changes in swallowing ability and saliva management, changes in respiration/breath support, slurred sounding speech, weakness of facial muscles/mouth/tongue, reduction in speaking rate. Often times these changes result in a decrease in the ability of others to understand speech, requiring adaptive tools to supplement verbal speech. Resources can be low tech or high tech in nature. A speech language pathologist can help outline the options available based on the symptoms and communication difficulties that the individual is experiencing at the time and will constantly re-evaluate as changes in conditions and abilities occur to ensure access to tools needed to continue independent communication.