What is Dysarthria and How Speech Therapy for Children Can Help? 

Dysarthria is a speech disorder caused by muscle weakness. This can make it difficult for a child to speak clearly and produce the right sounds. 

Speech therapy for children with Dysarthria focuses on syllables, words, and phrases. The therapist will work with the child to help them produce the sounds they are struggling with. Exercises to treat Dysarthria include tongue, lips, cheek, and jaw exercises. These exercises help to strengthen the muscles that are used for speech. 

Benefits of Speech Therapy for Children With Dysarthria 

There are many benefits of speech therapy for children with Dysarthria. Some of these benefits include improved pronunciation, rate of speech, breathing, loudness, and movement of muscles in speech production. 

In order to help children with Dysarthria achieve these goals, speech therapy is typically divided into two blocks of therapy. The first block focuses on increasing control of oral movement and articulation. The second block focuses on the child’s ability to produce sounds in a variety of contexts. 

Music therapy can also be beneficial for speech and language development in children with Dysarthria. Music therapists use techniques such as singing, instrument playing, and rhythm activities to help children improve their communication skills. 

Techniques for Effective Speech Therapy 

There are a variety of techniques that speech therapists can use to help children with Dysarthria. Some of these techniques include tongue, lip, cheek and jaw exercises. Therapists may also use specific activities, such as Short and Sweet, I’ve Got Rhythm, Puppetry and Sing a Song. 

These activities can help kids feel more comfortable and relaxed in speech therapy. They also help to improve their speaking skills. In addition, speech therapy can help slow down the rate of speech and improve breath support. This can help kids speak more clearly and effectively. 

Emotional Impact of Dysarthria & Speech Therapy 

It’s important for you to understand the emotional impacts of Dysarthria and the speech therapy process. The inability to communicate effectively can be frustrating and isolating for a child, leading to feelings of sadness, anger, and fear. The diagnosis of Dysarthria can also bring up feelings of loss and guilt in the family. 

Speech therapy can help your child develop more confidence in their ability to communicate and improve their overall mood. As they gain more confidence in communicating with others, they will also benefit from increased self-esteem and improved social relationships. Speech therapy can be an important tool in helping them cope with the emotional impact of Dysarthria as well as learn new strategies for communication. 

Tips to Support Home Speech Therapy 

You can have an important role in helping your child make progress with speech therapy. Here are five tips to keep in mind: 

• Set realistic goals for your child’s therapy sessions and break it down into small manageable pieces. Start with exercises that involve the muscles of the mouth and progress from there. 
• Start at a level that the child or your children can handle, and then gradually increase the difficulty as they progress. 
• Utilise short sessions of time (no more than 10-15 minutes) to make sure you don’t overwhelm them. 
• Provide frequent positive feedback when your kids make progress to keep them motivated and feeling successful. 
• Focus on what a child can do instead of overemphasising what he/she cannot do. This will help build lasting confidence in their own abilities. 

How Children’s Speech Therapy is Facilitated at Spring Forward Family Centre 

At Spring Forward Family Centre, we are committed to providing the best resources and support for children with Dysarthria. We offer a variety of services to help your child become as independent as possible, including speech therapy for children with Dysarthria. Our speech therapists will assess your child’s speech and language skills, evaluate the extent of their Dysarthria, work on strategies to get their message across and develop vocal quality. 

We focus on developing the children’s ability to express themselves effectively while improving their communication skills. Our approach focuses on helping the child build relationships through effective communication, which can be especially beneficial if they are unable to communicate verbally due to Dysarthria. Additionally, our therapeutic approach provides feedback and education that can help improve vocal quality. The vocal quality may be described as harsh or strangled in some cases of Dysarthria; however, with appropriate treatment and practise, this can be improved significantly. 

Conclusion 

So in conclusion, don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t give up on your child. There are many people who are willing to help, and with the right therapy, your child can make great strides.