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ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There are few effective treatments for ALS and no cure.

Receiving an ALS diagnosis is devastating for all involved. It is normal to feel lost, frightened and unsure of what to do next or who to turn to.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy can sometimes be confused as the characteristics and symptoms of these diseases can overlap. People living with ALS, MS, and MD often require the same kinds of wheelchairs and assistive devices. However, ALS, MS, and MD are separate and distinct diseases.

In familial ALS, an inherited genetic mutation causes ALS. Many different genetic mutations have been linked to ALS, and not all families have the same mutation as the cause of their disease.

Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease which is similar to ALS. However, ALS and PLS are not the same thing. Unlike ALS, PLS only affects the upper motor neurons. ALS affects both the upper and lower motor neurons.

Kennedy’s Disease is a rare genetic disease with symptoms that are similar to ALS. It is also called spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

Bulbar ALS is a subtype of ALS that destroys motor neurons in the corticobulbar area of the brain and brainstem. This area controls muscles in the face, head, and neck including the jaw, lips, throat, and tongue.

While travel can present unique challenges for people with ALS, a comfortable travel experience is possible with planning and patience. This fact sheet offers tips for planning a trip while living with ALS, whether it is a local day trip or a longer excursion including air travel. These tips may be helpful for things like running errands or visiting a specialist in another city, too.

People living with ALS require increasing levels of care as their disease progresses. Most of the time, responsibility for personal care is taken on by caregivers such as family and friends.

This fact sheet aims to help educators understand what ALS is, what students might experience while navigating an ALS diagnosis of someone close to them, and how school staff and school administrators can support students who have been impacted by ALS, especially in learning and school performance.

A feeding tube, also known as a “g-tube”, is a device that can be used to support the nutritional needs of a person living with ALS.

The non-motor aspects of ALS can fall into many categories. In this fact sheet are some of the more common non-motor symptoms, although people living with ALS may also experience other, less common ones.

Until recently, it was believed that ALS did not affect thinking or behavior. Research in the last few years has shown that ALS can cause cognitive and behavioral changes in some people.

While the emotional pain of ALS is often spoken about, causing depression and sadness in those living with ALS, the physical pain associated with ALS is less frequent, and often ignored.

Is cannabis safe for people with ALS? Some people with ALS use cannabis to help treat their symptoms.

It is important for people with ALS to feel closeness and connection with their intimate partners, and to experience healthy sexuality, whether with a partner or solo. While ALS does not affect sexual functioning directly, the disease progression affects mobility, mood, strength, and breathing, so creativity and experimentation may be required to achieve satisfying sexual intimacy.

The bowel and bladder are not typically affected by ALS. However, some people with ALS may experience constipation, which is defined as infrequent bowel movements—usually three times a week or less.

Over time, ALS impairs the muscles involved in breathing and coughing but does not impair the lungs.