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Dysarthria

What is dysarthria?

Dysarthria is the weakness or paralysis of the muscles used for speaking. A person with dysarthria may speak in a whisper, have slurred speech, or "talk through their nose."

What causes dysarthria?

Dysarthria is caused by poor control of the speech muscles. Damage to the brain or the nerves that control the muscles involved in speaking can cause weakness, slowness and inco-ordination of the speech muscles. It may be the result of stroke, other injury to the brain, or diseases like Parkinson's and ALS.

Therapy for dysarthria

Therapy for the person with dysarthria will vary depending on the severity and extent of the dysarthria. A speech-language pathologist can assess the dysarthric person's abilities and provide therapy suggestions at the appropriate level.

What can you do to help the person with dysarthria?

Because the communication problems of persons with dysarthia can vary to such a degree, it is impossible to make suggestions that will be right for everyone. If a speech-language pathologist is working with the dysarthric person he/she will be able to make appropriate specific suggestions. A few general suggestions are:

Reduce any background noise in the room.
Be sure the person's dentures are in and fit properly.
Face the person when you are communicating with them.
Encourage the person to use short phrases.
Allow the person time to speak.
Ask the person to repeat only the words you did not understand (ie. "You want to wear what?")
Encourage gestures, facial expressions and writing as well as speaking.
Gentle reminders to slow down may be useful.
Continually pointing out mistakes or asking for corrections is generally not helpful.
Carry on the conversation even if some words are unclear. The basic message is what is most important.

If you require further information, please contact the speech-language pathologist in your health region.

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