Treating Dysarthria
Sometimes, treating the underlying cause of a patient's dysarthria may return speech to normal. Depending on the severity and extent of the symptoms, a speech-language pathologist may recommend treatment, which can include:
- Exercises that can be used to strengthen the mouth and face muscles
- Learning new ways of breaking up words or making sounds
- Developing strategies to help compensate for symptoms (i.e., frequent pauses for breath, over-articulation or sounds and words, and pauses before important words)
Easy Things You Can Do to Help Someone with Dysarthria
- Give the person ample time to speak.
- Keep the conversation going, even if some words are unclear.
- Ask the person to repeat only the words that you figure out.
- Encourage the person to use short phrases.
- Encourage gestures, facial expressions, and writing, as well as speaking.
- Gentle reminders to slow down may be useful.
- Refrain from pointing out mistakes or asking the person to correct speech.
- Face the person when you are talking.
- Reduce background noise in the room.
- If the person wears dentures, make sure that they are in and fitting properly.
Contact Us
To be seen by one of our speech pathologists, you will need a referral. You or your physician can call
(585)
758-5730 to schedule an appointment.
For inpatient questions, please call (585) 275-8493. Our office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
