Dysarthria (difficulty speaking)

Patient Information Leaflet

Speech and Language Therapy Department

Introduction

This leaflet is for people who have dysarthria and their relatives/carers. It gives information on what this condition is and what can be done to help people who have it.

What is dysarthria?

Dysarthria is difficulty speaking caused by brain damage or brain changes later in life. Speech may sound slurred, nasal, quiet and unclear. It may be very difficult for you or your relative/friend to be understood at all.

What causes it?

The muscles that control speech are usually controlled by the brain and nervous system.  If either of these are damaged in some way, the signals from the brain needed to work the speech muscles are disrupted and dysarthria develops.

Dysarthria can occur as a result of:

• Brain damage before or during birth; for example, cerebral palsy.
• Brain changes later in life, such as damage caused by a stroke, head injury or brain tumour, or a condition such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease.

How can I help my relative/friend?

• Encourage slow speech and exaggerated mouth movements. It may help if they emphasise the first sound of each word they say.
• Encourage the splitting up of long words into their separate syllables, for example, ‘ther-a-py’.
• If the person’s volume is quiet or trails off, encourage short sentences.
• When speech is very difficult or unclear, encourage alternative methods of communication, for example, gesture, pointing, writing or drawing.
• Consider using a personalised communication book using pictures to enable the person to point to what they need.
• Ensure that the environment is quiet – turn off the radio, TV etc.
• Ensure that the person is sitting as upright as possible, dentures and hearing aids in, glasses on etc.
• Ensure that you are positioned face-to-face.

It is likely that a combination of the above strategies will help communication and reduce frustration.

Be aware that speech will probably become less clear towards the end of the day. Tiredness and anxiety make speaking clearly more of an effort and difficult. It is helpful to build in plenty of breaks and to reduce frustration by responding to the content of what is said rather than the manner.

If you would like to discuss your relative’s communication further, a speech and language therapist would be happy to do so. Please speak to the nurse in charge of your relative’s care or their GP to arrange this.

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.

If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator: Jane Patrick. Date originated: September 2017. Date reviewed: March 2026. Next review due: April 2029. Version: 4. DGH ref: DGH/PIL/01404.