Speech Therapist`s Role in Assisting Patients with Multiple Sclerosis as Part of a Multidisciplinary Team

Aim : The aim of this study is to investigate the need for a speech therapist in planning long-term care, managing symptoms, and addressing disabilities in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Varna and involved questions about the need for additional services and speech therapy. The survey was conducted through home visits, phone calls, and patient meetings with an MS specialist nurse. Sixty-two patients diagnosed with MS with varying degrees of disability were surveyed, and the studied parameters were analyzed. Results: The study found that 27 respondents (44%) had speech disorders, with 41% of them experiencing these disorders for more than a year. The types of disorders are diverse, with 44% of respondents describing their speech as unclear and incomprehensible to others, and 37% describing it as clear and understandable but reporting difficulty finding the right words during communication. 84% of all surveyed patients would seek consultation with a speech therapist. Contemporary research on MS increasingly considers language disorders one of the clinical manifestations of the disease. Conclusion The study results unequivocally demonstrate the need for speech therapy, necessitating the inclusion of a speech therapist in the multidisciplinary team for planning long-term care and managing the disease in patients diagnosed with MS. Analyzing speech and language disorders can provide additional insights into markers associated with disease progression in MS patients, emphasizing the need for a speech therapist at various disease stages and in planning individualized comprehensive rehabilitation programs.