Speech Sounds Disorders
Childhood Dysarthria
What is Dysarthria?
Childhood dysarthria is when a child has damage to the parts of their brain that is associated with muscle control. This damage causes a child to have weakness in the muscles involved in speech. When the muscles in our face, lips, tongue, and throat are weak, it becomes harder for a child to speak.
Causes
​Damage to the brain such as an illness or injury may cause dysarthria. This damage can occur from brain damage during or after birth. Examples include:
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Cerebral palsy
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Traumatic brain injury
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Stroke
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Muscular dystrophy
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Pediatric multiple sclerosis
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and other syndromes such as Fragile X or Down’s syndrome
Assessment
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The structures associated with speaking will be examined as well as how they work together functionally.
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Respiratory function will be considered to evaluate your child’s breath control.
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A sustained phonation task (saying the vowel /a/ for a period of time) will help evaluate your child’s voice quality and loudness.
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Your child’s ability to control nasal consonants such as /n/ and /m/ will be evaluated.
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Diadochokinesis (DDK) tasks will be used to evaluate your child’s rate of speech. This task involves a sequence of your child saying /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ in various patterns.​
Intervention
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Factors to consider include the cause of the disorder, the type and severity of symptoms, and what areas of speech are being affected.
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Target areas to consider are:​
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Breath control
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Rate of speech
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Muscle strengthening
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Alternative speech options such as sign language or augmentative alternative communication (e.g., a speaking device on a tablet)
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Working with family on better ways to communicate
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Specific treatments may include:
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Speech Systems Intelligibility Treatment (SSIT)
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Lee Silverman Voice Treatment LOUD (LSVT LOUD)
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Speech Systems Approach
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It is important to note that assessments and interventions will be chosen based on the strengths and needs of the individual child and that there is not a “one size fits all” treatment plan.
What's the difference between Apraxia and Dysarthria?
RESOURCES
Articles
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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Dysarthria. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/dysarthria/.
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Kuschmann, A. (2021). Recent developments in classifying and assessing dysarthria in children. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 63(4), 367-368. https://doi-org.ezproxy.bgsu.edu/10.1111/dmcn.14833
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​Levy, E. S. (2014). Implementing two treatment approaches to childhood dysarthria. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 16(4), 344–354. https://doi.org/10.3109/17549507.2014.894123
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​Levy, E. S. (2021, January 12). Say it strong-and say it again. The ASHA LeaderLive. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.FTR2.26012021.54/full/.
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