ALS and speech problems
Early symptoms of ALS may include speech problems or speaking clearly. Some of the
earliest speech-related symptoms of ALS may include:
- Nasal speech quality
- Difficulty speaking or forming words
- Difficulty with lengthy sentences or conversation
Even the muscles that help a person speak can be affected by ALS. When the soft
palate (the soft tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth) is weakened by ALS,
it doesn't elevate properly. As a result, sounds go up into the nasal cavity and
resonate there. This gives the voice a nasal quality.
As ALS affects communication between the brain and the body, it may also affect
the tongue. The tongue is primarily responsible for shaping sounds, so ALS patients
often find it difficult to control the ability to form sounds into words.
When breathing muscles weaken, it becomes more difficult for people with ALS to
speak loud enough to be understood. As the disease progresses, people with ALS may
have difficulty getting good, deep breaths for speech. Without adequate breath support,
it is difficult to talk very loudly or produce long sentences.
Like other muscles, vocal cords will weaken as a result of ALS. When they fail to
separate, the voice develops a strained quality. Eventually, extensive muscle atrophy
eliminates any ability to vocalize and speak.
Speech therapy for ALS patients
According to the America Speech-Language-Hearing Association, as a person with ALS
finds it more difficult to speak, therapy may focus on teaching strategies and techniques
to maintain functional speech. Examples include slowing down speech or using a communication
aid to supplement speech.