Dysarthria means difficulty producing speech sounds.

Dysarthria is caused by a weakness of muscles of the face, lips, tongue, jaw, voice box and muscles of breathing.

• Dysarthria reduces the ability of the speech muscles to perform adequately.
• Each dysarthria can be different.
• Speech may be difficult, but the ability to understand will be good, and intelligence remains unharmed.
• Dysarthria can co-occur with other communication impairments in which understanding, reading, writing and thinking may be difficult.
• People with dysarthria may not notice when their speech is unclear.
• A person with severe dysarthria may have little or no understandable speech.
• Some people will be able to communicate by writing or other communication aids.

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Dysarthria can look like this

• Slurred or unintelligible speech
• Speech is too fast, too slow or too quiet
• Running out of breath when speaking
• A voice which sounds harsh, strained or breathy
• Changes in pitch causing the speaker to sound ‘monotonous’
• Drooling of saliva and difficulty swallowing due to muscle weakness

 

How to get the most from your speech

• Ensure you are sitting in a good, upright position
• Face the listener, speak slowly and pause frequently
• Over-articulate sounds and syllables. Focus finishing the ends of words.
• Emphasize key words rather than using sentences
• Re-phrase if necessary
• Do not shout as this uses precious energy for speech
• Use short phrases or sentences so that you do not run out of breath
• When tired, keep speech to a minimum
• Supplement speech by an alphabet chart, gesture, drawing, writing.

 

How the listener can help

• Ensure the surroundings are quiet and free from distractions.
• Be patient and tolerant. Give positive feedback when you have understood. Give the person time to talk.
• Repeat back the part of the message you have understood.
• Maintain close eye contact so you can watch the speaker’s facial expression and make effort to listen carefully.
• Do not ask for complex answers. It will make the speaker tired.
• Encourage all speech efforts and reminding the person to use their strategies.
• Ensure there is a paper and pencil or alphabet chart to supplement speech.
• If writing is unclear, use a list of words to be pointed to, or encourage drawing.
• Help the person to read aloud slowly from a newspaper or magazine to practise speech.
• Do not pretend you have understood if you have not.

 

The speaker can become upset or frustrated.

• Remind the person that their speech will be worse when tired, upset or unwell. This is the time to rest.

 

Strategies to increase clarity of speech

• Slow - do not rush while speaking.
• Loud - try to increase your volume but do not shout.
• Over-emphasise - try to over-emphasise key words.
• Pause - make sure you pause in between each word.

 

If you require any more information, go to the Stroke Association website: www.stroke.org.uk