Dysarthria (difficulty speaking)
Treating dysarthria
A speech and language therapist will work as part of a team of healthcare professionals that includes people from the health, social and voluntary sector.
The therapist willtry to improve and maximise your or your child's ability to talk. They'll help you find different ways of communicating, and will assist you and your family in adapting toyour new situation.
They may recommend:
- strategies to improve speech, such as slowing speech down
- exercises to improve the volume or clarity of speech
- assistive devices,such as a simple alphabet board, an amplifier,or a computerised voice output system
Some speech and language therapists may be able to carry out or refer you for a specialist assessment of communication aids ,including computerised voice output systems. For some people, these devices can be used alongside or instead of speech to help them communicate.
See your local speech and language therapist if you're interested in having an assessment. They'll be able to provide further information and advice about arranging an assessment and trial of a communication aid.
There's no guarantee that speech and language therapy can improve the speech of everyone with dysarthria. Whether treatment is successful will depend on the extent and location of thebrain damage or dysfunction, the underlying condition causing it, and the individual's personal circumstances.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Information and advice about dysarthria difficulty speaking caused by problems controlling the muscles used in speech.
Symptoms of dysarthria
A child or adultwith dysarthria may have: slurred, nasal-sounding or breathy speech a strained and hoarse voice excessively loud or quiet speech problems speaking in a regular rhythm, with freque
What causesdysarthria?
The muscles used for speech are controlled by the brain and nervous system. Dysarthria can develop if either of theseis damaged in some way. Dysarthria can either be: developmental when it occur
Diagnosing dysarthria
Speech and language therapists can carry out an assessment to determine the extent of the speech problem. They may ask you or your childto: make different sounds talkabout a familiar topic count n
Treating dysarthria
A speech and language therapist will work as part of a team of healthcare professionals that includes people from the health, social and voluntary sector. The therapist willtry to improve and maximis
Communication tips
The following advice may help you communicate more effectively if you've got dysarthria or if you're communicating with someone with the condition. Tips for people with dysarthria If you have dysart
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