Difficulty sequencing actions, making it Reduced oral intake resulting in How can MSA affect harder to carry-out everyday tasks malnutrition, weight loss, reduced energy, dehydration and constipation communication? How can Speech and Language How can Speech and Language Therapy help? The majority of people diagnosed with Therapy help? MSA will experience problems with their communication. This may include: Your Speech and Language Therapist It is important to identify symptoms of can: Slurred speech (dysarthria) swallowing difficulties early. The Speech Strained/hoarse/croaky/tremulous vocal and Language Therapist can offer advice advice/strategies & provide quality regarding swallowing techniques, specific exercises/programmes to help Speaking at a very fast rate food/drink texture modification (dependent improve speech intelligibility Reduced facial expression/ability to on the stage of your condition) and saliva Introduce alternative communication maintain eye contact management. systems, which can help you to Small, spidery handwriting express yourself if speech becomes Reduced body language, including They can provide compensatory strategies difficult. hand gestures to help ensure food and drink is being swallowed safely. Alternative methods of How can MSA affect swallowing? People with MSA can experience eating and drinking (e.g. feeding tubes) decreased cognitive functioning, which may also need to be explored in the long- MSA may affect your ability to swallow. may also impact communication. People term. Symptoms may include: may experience: Slow thinking/slow learning/ reduced Coughing/choking when eating and attention and inability to follow fast drinking conversations. Drooling and poor saliva management Losing one’s of thought while Difficulty clearing and controlling speaking food/drink in the mouth Difficulties problem-solving and forward Delayed swallow reflex planning Food sticking in throat Problems storing and retrieving Problems swallowing medication memories Discomfort in chest or throat Difficulty making sense of Recurrent infections perceptions/concepts Increased phlegm which is difficult to Problems with language (e.g. word- clear finding difficulties) Fatigue when eating and drinking
How can MSA affect communication? The majority of people diagnosed with MSA will experience problems with their communication. This may include: Slurred speech (dysarthria) Strained/hoarse/croaky/tremulous vocal quality Speaking at a very fast rate Reduced facial expression/ability to maintain eye contact Small, spidery handwriting Reduced body language, including hand gestures People with MSA can experience decreased cognitive functioning, which may also impact communication. People may experience: Slow thinking/slow learning/ reduced attention and inability to follow fast conversations. Losing one’s of thought while speaking Difficulties problem-solving and forward planning Problems storing and retrieving memories Difficulty making sense of perceptions/concepts Problems with language (e.g. word- finding difficulties) Difficulty sequencing actions, making it harder to carry-out everyday tasks How can Speech and Language Therapy help? Your Speech and Language Therapist can: advice/strategies & provide specific exercises/programmes to help improve speech intelligibility Introduce alternative communication systems, which can help you to express yourself if speech becomes difficult. How can MSA affect swallowing? MSA may affect your ability to swallow. Symptoms may include: Coughing/choking when eating and drinking Drooling and poor saliva management Difficulty clearing and controlling food/drink in the mouth Delayed swallow reflex Food sticking in throat Problems swallowing medication Discomfort in chest or throat Recurrent infections Increased phlegm which is difficult to clear Fatigue when eating and drinking Reduced oral intake resulting in malnutrition, weight loss, reduced energy, dehydration and constipation How can Speech and Language Therapy help? It is important to identify symptoms of swallowing difficulties early. The Speech and Language Therapist can offer advice regarding swallowing techniques, food/drink texture modification (dependent on the stage of your condition) and saliva management. They can provide compensatory strategies to help ensure food and drink is being swallowed safely. Alternative methods of eating and drinking (e.g. feeding tubes) may also need to be explored in the long- term.
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