Forte Speech & Language Therapy, a leader in speech-language pathology services in Los Angeles, today announced the publication of a new guide, “How Speech Therapy Supports People Living with Multiple Sclerosis”. This guide is aimed at raising awareness and providing actionable strategies for individuals, caregivers, and health professionals navigating the speech challenges associated with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic neurological condition that can affect movement, sensation, cognition, and speech. Many individuals with MS face difficulties such as slurred speech, slow articulation, vocal fatigue, or difficulty projecting their voice. These communication barriers can have significant impacts on quality of life, social engagement, emotional well-being, and overall health.

The newly published guide from Forte Speech & Language Therapy addresses these issues directly, offering evidence-based recommendations for assessment, therapy, and support.

In particular, the guide emphasizes the importance of early, comprehensive evaluation of speech patterns, voice quality, breathing support, and articulatory precision. It offers tools and protocols for speech-language pathologists to identify which aspects of communication are most impacted.

A core focus is on individualized therapy plans. This may include exercises for strengthening the muscles involved in speech, techniques to improve articulation, pace, and clarity, voice projection strategies, and methods to reduce vocal strain and fatigue. It may also include compensatory communication strategies, such as pacing, pausing, using gestures, employing communication aids, or implementing software and apps designed to support speech intelligibility.

Recognizing that MS is often a relapsing and changing condition, the guide offers strategies for maintaining speech gains between therapy sessions, monitoring for changes, and adapting techniques over time. It also discusses the role of rest, hydration, vocal hygiene, and breathing exercises.

The guide encourages involvement of caregivers, family, and clinical teams in supporting communication. It details how loved ones can help facilitate practice, understand communication breakdowns, and support emotional resilience. For health care professionals, it recommends collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches combining neurology, speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.

For many people with MS, speech difficulties are under-recognized and under-treated. Delays in referral to speech pathology, lack of awareness of evidence-based therapies, or scarce access to skilled clinicians may leave individuals without the support they need. Forte Speech & Language Therapy aims to fill this gap with this guide: to inform, to empower, and to improve access to best practices in speech rehabilitation, ultimately helping people with MS maintain or recover communication function, social connection, and self-confidence.

Forte Speech & Language Therapy is dedicated to providing high quality, patient-centered LA speech-language pathology services. With a multidisciplinary team of speech-language pathologists, voice therapists, and assistive-technology experts, the organization serves individuals of all ages with neurological, developmental, and speech-motor disorders. Forte is committed to innovation, education, and advocacy for accessible communication care.

Media Contact
Company Name: Forte Speech & Language Therapy
Contact Person: Kylie Puckett, MA, CCC-SLP
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 (818) 208 0027
City: Los Angeles
State: California
Country: United States
Website: https://www.fortespeech.com/