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.