Speech and communication are an important part of daily life. The way you express yourself makes up a large part of your identity. It helps convey your beliefs and personality.
MND can cause weakness in the tongue, lips, vocal cords, and breathing muscles which can result in changes in the ability to speak. For this reason, regular review and assessment of speech is important.
The problems with speech associated with MND can be hard to deal with. Losing the ability to speak can lead to frustration, less time socialising and feelings of isolation and loss of control.
You’re not alone. Research suggests that around 80% of people living with MND are likely to have problems with the quality of their speech.
Thankfully, there is a lot that can be done to support you to manage problems with your speech if they arise. Speech pathologists and occupational therapists can work together to give you tips and strategies to support communication so you can interact with those around you.
Speech, or the way people express their thoughts and emotions with sounds, is a complex process that involves many nerves and muscles.
Some people with MND experience changes to speech early in the disease. For others it can happen much later. For most people, weakness in the muscles that control speech gets worse as MND progresses.
Speech changes usually include:
Often changes with speech come with changes to swallowing.
As with most things, it helps to hope for the best while being proactive. Planning ahead can give you a sense of being in control and assist with making informed decisions.
Early referral to a speech pathologist is a good thing. A speech pathologist can assess your speech and swallowing. They can give you advice and strategies to deal with what’s happening at the time. They can also talk through your options for later down the track.
Early referral also allows you to discuss options for voice banking before there are major changes to your speech. Voice and message banking are becoming more available with advances in technology.
Finding what works for you can take time.
Talking with your friends, family and carer early on can help you figure out what works for you. It also gives you a chance to trial different strategies until you find the best system for you.
As well as speech problems, weakness of arm and hand muscles can affect your ability to use gestures. This can impact your ability to use some high and low-tech devices. An occupational therapist (OT) can work with a speech pathologist to problem solve and find ways to adapt and develop solutions.
The strategies listed below can help support better communication.
If your speech is affected by MND, others may assume you are deaf or have an intellectual disability. They may speak too loudly or too simply.
As technology advances, there are more and more communication options available to people living with MND. Your speech pathologist and your occupational therapist (OT) can help give solutions for day-to-day communication.
MND Association advisors or support coordinators are also great sources of information. Some devices may be available for hire or loan through your local MND Association.
Low-tech devices do not rely on technology to aid communication. They are generally easy to get. Low-tech communication devices include:
High-tech communication devices include:
Computer applications (software) is a fast-growing area of technology and includes: