SIG Communication & Swallowing
Connecting SLTs across Europe to advance communication and swallowing care in Multiple Sclerosis through shared expertise, research, and collaboration
Communication & Swallowing
About us
The Special Interest Group (SIG) Communication & Swallowing brings together speech and language therapists (SLTs) from across Europe, all with a shared commitment to advancing care for people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS).
The group focuses on the exchange of clinical experiences, development of shared assessment tools, and collaborative research on communication and swallowing disorders in Multiple Sclerosis. Through yearly face-to-face meetings and regular virtual contact, members foster a vibrant international network.
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➜ Who participates
The group primarily consists of speech and language therapists who work in clinical or research settings with PwMS. Collaboration is encouraged across borders and disciplines to improve understanding and rehabilitation strategies related to communication and swallowing issues.
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➜ How it started
The SIG originated from the MARCH program in 1996, following a Europe-wide questionnaire on MS rehabilitation practices. The group formed officially after the publication of foundational works, highlighting the need for focused international collaboration in communication and swallowing disorders.
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➜ Our goals
• Expand the network of SLTs involved in Multiple Sclerosis care across Europe
• Share expertise on communication and swallowing disorders
• Promote standardized evaluation tools and treatment strategies
• Encourage interdisciplinary involvement in rehabilitation
• Advance research and knowledge exchange in the field
Meetings & Reports
The SIG Communication & Swallowing maintains strong connections through regular email and virtual meetings, using these exchanges to share clinical cases, discuss treatment approaches, and advance joint research initiatives.
A highlight each year is a dedicated two-day face-to-face meeting, hosted in a different European location and supported by RiMS, which creates valuable opportunities for deeper networking and hands-on collaboration. These gatherings have helped drive shared projects, such as the translation and validation of assessment tools like the DYMUS questionnaire, while continually strengthening ties across the international SLT community.
Members
Antonella Nota
Caroline Bruggeman
Astero Constantinou
Francesca De Biagi
Hilda Baeken
Ingrid Theunkens
Irene Battel
Hélène Mathy
Leonie Ruhaak
Myrthe Hogebrink
Marta Renom
Rosa Terre Boliart
Sofie Noe
Itziar Garcia Ramirez
Fredrik Sand
Grant Projects
RIMS Grant Project 2017 - Prevalence, features and underlying causes of dysarthria in multiple sclerosis. A Systematic review.
Leonie Ruhaak, Francesca DeBiagi, Fredrik Sand, Hans Ket, Joke Geytenbeek, Vincent de Groot, Kelly Van Landeghem, Selma Giling, Sofie Noë, Marta Renom Guiteras
RIMS Grant Project 2015 - Translation and Validation of the Spanish and Dutch version of the DYMUS questionnaire for the assessment of dysphagia in multiple sclerosis
Xavier Montalban Gairín, Ingrid Galán Cartañá, Xavier Sibera Aresté, Marta Renom Guiteras, Rosa Terré Boliart, Itziar García Ramírez, Lorena Gonzalo, Mireia Aldevert Serra, Anna Villanueva Tejero, Patricia Feliu Rabaji, Annemie Gielis; Leonie Ruhaak
Publications
Booklets of the SIG Communication & Swallowing
- When Speech and Language Therapists have to deal with cognitive impairments in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis… How to adjust the intervention? (2013)
Nota A., De Biagi F., Mathy H., Renom M., Terré R., Battel I., De Groote M.
Download booklet - Multiple Sclerosis: When communication and swallowing are compromised by cognitive disorders… …How to cope with them in daily life? … How can Speech and Language Therapists help you? (2013)
Nota A., De Biagi F., Mathy H., Renom M., Terré R., Battel I., De Groote M.
Download booklet
Joint publications of the SIG Communication & Swallowing
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The role of Speech and language pathologist in MS Rehabilitation (2002)
Nota A., Ganty G., Lafortune M., Vandevijver A., Vanlievendael S., Speech and Language Department, National MS Centre, Melsbroek - Belgium
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Talking About Communication in MS (2007)
Renom M., Nota A., Martinell M., Gustafsson E., Warinowski E.L., Terré R., SIG on Communication and Swallowing
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La comunicación en la esclerosis múltiple (2010)
Renom M., Nota A., Martinell M., Gustafsson E., Warinowski E.L., Terré R., SIG on Communication and Swallowing.
Translation into Spanish from "Talking About Communications in MS" by Marta Renom and Ingrid Galan.
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