People were excluded if they had cognitive impairment, trach or vent, a diaphragmatic pacer, or an active respiratory disease.

I know I have more to learn, so please share what you do as well.

Prognosis is poor.

The SLP may be the first to suspect ALS.

The emerging role for exercise.

ALS affects both upper motor neurons (UMN) in the brain and lower motor neurons (LMN) in the spinal cord.

For some reason, military veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ALS than the general public.

There are roughly 25,000 people in the United States affected by ALS, with 5,000 people being diagnosed every year.

People with bulbar onset ALS often experience a faster progression of the disease and a shorter life expectancy.

One person I worked with passed away very shortly after diagnosis and after only one week on my caseload.

Although a rare case, Stephen Hawking lived for more than 50 years with ALS.

When I first met him four years ago, he was non-verbal, wasnt eating or drinking by mouth but had a feeding tube, and was wheelchair bound.

At that time, I set him up with a speech-generating device (SGD) accessed through eye-gaze.

He was still smiling, making jokes, and communicating through the SGD via eye-gaze.

Its quite possible that the SLP may be the first person to suspect a neurological disorder in these cases.

You can also check out this open-access Otolaryngology paper Cranial nerve examination for neurogenic dysphagia patients.

This is why its so important to know where to look for guidance and support.

For instance, we can connect with more experienced colleagues and access resources from ASHA and other organizations.

State AT program.

ASHAs Special Interest Groups: 2 Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders.

AAC SGD vendors such as Tobii Dynavox, LC Technologies, and PRC.

Summary of Provisional Best Practices Guidelines for the Evaluation of Bulbar Dysfunction in Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Dysarthria findings associated with UMN and LMN degeneration.

AAC-RERC provides clinical pathways for communication and swallowing in ALS.

ALS Association research news includes blog, newsletter, and free webinars.

Research has shown some benefit of exercise for the limbs in ALS.

Dr. Plowman and her team are researching expiratory-muscle strength training (EMST) to see if people can improve cough, swallowing, and quality of life.

Voice Banking For Als