Dysarthria and dysphonia are some of the most common features of stroke, but treatment and an awareness of certain strategies an individual can really improve their chances of being understood and aid recovery. Just having an awareness of your breathing (to improve volume), using shorter sentences, and emphasizing key words can make differences to intelligibility. Using simple communication aids can also give the listener cues and enhance intelligibility. A qualified speech and language pathologist / therapist can help you develop strategies and give you advice on assistive communication.

Muscle Exercises
There are a wide variety of exercises and approaches, and their use will depend on the patient, severity and location of the brain lesion or disorder (cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke etc), and the type of dysarthria. For instance, with flaccid dysarthria, muscle strengthening exercises may be appropriate, but for dysarthria that presents with increased muscle tone and poor coordination, relaxation exercises may need to be performed.

Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises may also be helpful, as poor breath control will effect volume and sentence length. Our lungs are the bellows, the power source that creates the energy for speech. Not only has our breath got to be powerful enough, but it also has to be timed right.

Compensatory Strategies
Compensatory strategies may include, slowing speech (this is probably the most obvious way to become more intelligible), or producing each word, or syllable individually, rather than in a stream of connected speech.

Gesture or visuals
Add gesture to your speech to give the listener another cue to help them understand. Have a book or sheet of visuals of core subjects. This can help cue people into what you are saying by putting them in the context of your conversation.

Alphabet Chart
Evidence has shown that using an alphabet chart can greatly enhance intelligibility. Not just by spelling out entire words, but by just pointing to the initial letter/sound of a word often cues in the listener to the word you are trying to pronounce.

Hi-tech Augmentative / Assistive communication aids
Depending on the degree of your dysarthria, it may be beneficial to use a hi-tech communication device. There are a range of these machines that offer speech output, either by typing your message or accessing visual symbols on a screen via touch or scanning. Lo-tech options such as an E-tram frame and partner assisted scanning, can also work well for communication.

To see an icommunicate video about using Picture Charts to facilitate communication following a Stroke or Brain Injury - Click here.

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