Dysarthria means the muscles used in speaking have been affected, usually by a stroke or something similar. These muscles may be weak, move more slowly, or be difficult to coordinate.
Your speech may sound:
- Quiet
- Slurred
- Unclear
- Jerky
- Slower or faster than usual
Dysarthria does not affect your intelligence or hearing
How is Speech Produced?
Speech involves:
- Breathing in and filling the lungs with air
- Air acts like bellows to make the vocal cords vibrate and produce voice
- Changing the shape of lips, tongue, teeth, and soft palate forms the individual sounds of speech
Structures used in normal speech production:
- Nasal passage
- Soft palate
- Teeth
- Throat (pharynx)
- Lips
- Voice box (larynx)
- Vocal cords
- Windpipe (trachea)
- Lungs
What Can Go Wrong?
Problems depend on the area of the brain damaged and the muscles affected. Issues can arise with:
- Breathing: May be shallow or poorly controlled
- Voice production: May be weak, hoarse, or monotonous
- Tongue and lip movement: May make speech slurred or unclear; weak lip muscles can also lead to drooling
Things That May Affect Your Speech
- Being tired or “under the weather”
- Feeling in pain or unwell
- Being rushed
- Some medications
- Background noise
- Talking in a group
What Can I Do?
- Sit as upright as you can
- Take your time
- Try to be calm and relaxed
- Take a good breath before speaking
- Speak as soon as you breathe out to make full use of breath
- Break up long words into their separate syllables
- Articulate as clearly as you can
- Think about the movements you want your tongue and lips to make
- Concentrate
- Keep your head up if you can and face the person you are talking to
- If the listener does not understand a word, try to use another word that means the same thing (e.g., “date” for “appointment”)
How Can My Friends and Family Help?
- Keep the atmosphere quiet and free from distractions
- Watch your face for extra clues
- Be patient and recognise that speech may be slower or more effortful
- Give you extra time to get your message across
- Avoid speaking at the same time or interrupting
- Try not to “fill in” too soon
- Ask you to repeat if necessary, but let you know the part of the message they have understood
- Ask appropriate questions to help clarify what you are saying
- Offer paper and pencil for you to write if this helps, or any other aids provided
- Be honest if they have not understood
- Be aware that if you are tired or “under the weather” your speech may be less clear. Sometimes it helps to have a break and try again later
Working With Your Speech and Language Therapist
Your Speech and Language Therapist will work with you on:
- Helping you understand the factors which affect your speech
- Exercises to improve the strength of the muscles to make speech clearer
- Teaching you strategies such as slowing the rate of speech, improving breathing pattern, using shorter sentences
- Helping the people close to you to be aware of the things they can do