dysarthria

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

Is their anyone on this list with a diagnosis of dysarthria with some

apraxia? I haven't found much info on dysarthria, only about after a stroke.

If anyone has any info please send it to me.

Thank you,

Amy Clugston mom to Lorna 5 & Jadon 1

from Michigan

www.geocities.com/amy76jo

www.geocities.com/undiagnosed_syndromes

[Guest guest]

Amy,

My son has dyspraxia and dysarthria. The only information I have on dysarthria

is a one page article written by , M.A. My son's speech therapist

gave this to us 3 years ago, but maybe it is still worth reading. It says on

the bottom " This page may be reproduced for instructional use. " I assume that

is

what I am doing here and am not breaking any copyright laws. Here it is:

-------------

What is developmental dysarthria?

Dysarthria involves problems with articulation, the production of speech sounds.

This disorder can involve paralysis, weakness, and lack of coordination of the

muscles for speech. The problem results from impairment of the nervous system.

When dysarthria is diagnosed in children it is called developmental dysarthria.

What speech problems are associated with developmental dysarthria?

Speech problems vary, depending on the type and severity of impairment of the

muscles used for speech. Speech may be slowed, slurred, nasal, jerky, or

unclear. Children with mild dysarthria may speak slowly and deliberately to

form sounds clearly. Children with more severe dysarthria may say even simple

sounds with

great strain and effort. In general, dysarthria is characterized by:

* Continuous poor articulation

* A pattern of incorrect pronunciation of problem sounds

* Speech which may be slower than normal

How can I help my child?

Dysarthria is different for each child. If not evaluated properly, incorrect

treatment can result. First, arrange for a thorough evaluation for your child.

The evaluation results will determine which areas of speech are affected and

where therapy should begin. It is important that you know the possible

treatment

methods for dysarthria. Then you will be well-informed when you discuss your

child's needs with the speech and language clinician. Here are the general

methods of treatment for developmental dysarthria:

1. Articulation

Articulation training deals directly with your child's difficulty in being

understood. It involves learning and practicing the basic tongue, jaw, and lip

movements needed to speak. Your child may need to have help from a feeding

specialist to learn early patterns of movement. First, the mouth and throat

muscles must be

coordinated for eating. Then these muscles are ready to learn the movements for

speech.

2. Breathing

It is important that articulation training is combined with good breathing.

Your child needs to practice speech sounds while working on a stronger stream of

airflow. This may help decrease grimacing and facial distortion. Good

breathing is important for clear, understandable speech. If your child has to

stop in the

middle of a sentence to take a breath, the message may be hard to understand.

There are techniques to help your child use the muscles of breathing to improve

speech.

3. Rhythm and Phrasing

Talking to a rhythm or musical beat can help your child learn to speak clearly.

The beat helps the speech muscles work together. The clinician may also

encourage your child to speak in short phrases. When simple phrases are paired

with movement and a musical beat, speech practice is fun for your child. The

movement and

rhythm involved make it easier to " sing " words than say them.

4. Alternative Communication

If your child is unable to use speech to express thoughts and feelings, another

means is necessary. There are many ways that a child can communicate without

using speech. Your child may be able to use a communication board. This may be

a poster of pictures, words, or symbols representing things, people, or actions.

The

child may point to the pictures to communicate. If pointing is not possible,

there are many other ways that your child can select pictures or symbols on a

communication board. At first, you may have difficulty accepting the fact that

your child isn't using speech. But, it is important to give your child some

means of

expression.

Ask your speech and language clinician about specific treatment techniques. The

clinician will evaluate your child to determine specific needs. Then, the

clinician will begin appropriate therapy. It is important that you help your

child by using the suggestions given by your clinician. With the combined

effort of all

the people working with your child, communication can be improved.

--------

Well, that is the article. Hope it helps.

Liz Dunn\Ridgewood, NJ -- Mom to , 7, dyspraxia, dysarthria, SID, and

Wesley, 4, Won't stop talking

Amy Clugston wrote:

> Hello all,

>

> Is their anyone on this list with a diagnosis of dysarthria with some

> apraxia? I haven't found much info on dysarthria, only about after a stroke.

> If anyone has any info please send it to me.

>

> Thank you,

> Amy Clugston mom to Lorna 5 & Jadon 1

> from Michigan

> www.geocities.com/amy76jo

> www.geocities.com/undiagnosed_syndromes

[Guest guest]

Hy , we've seen a pediatric neurologist twice and he says PDD. never

speaks or anything at Doctor's offices so they've never heard him (at ANY of the

appointments he's ever been to) I think at the last appt. with his pediatrician

he finally said " truck " and a couple of other things, which was a pleasant

surprise for Dr. P.. Can a pediatric neurologist dx a speech disorder w/o

hearing them speak? Maybe that's why we've been having difficulty in that area.

I can tell that with the oral exercises they have been doing that it has been

helping some, he's trying to pucker his lips for a kiss. At least we're not

getting wet teeth kisses anymore, it's more lips now, yeah, lol.

Best,

Re: [ ] dysarthria

mamaladybug35 wrote:

My son has both dyspraxia and dysarthria. He's 6 and is speaking

somewhat intelligibly (probably 75%) but on a sound by sound basis he

makes almost no sounds correctly. He's still working on bilabials

(p,b,m) and has been off and on for 2 years now. The dysarthria really

slows down the progress because the muscle weakness in such small

muscles is really hard to improve. If you haven't already seen a

Pediatric Neurologist it was an important step for us in getting

appropriate therapies and getting them covered by our insurance as well

as getting school services (my son is in Kindergarten this year). Over

the past 6 months we've started doing PROMPT therapy and are finding it

to be more effective than anything we've tried previously.