What Is Dysarthria?
Dysarthria is a speech problem caused by a lack of control over muscles in the face and mouth. This problem may occur if the brain is damaged. A person who has dysarthria knows which words to use, but may not be able to make the right sounds.
A person with dysarthria may not be able to make certain sounds and may speak slowly.
Signs of Dysarthria
The signs of dysarthria vary with each person. A person with dysarthria may show some or all of the signs listed below.
A person with dysarthria may not be able to do the following:
Make certain sounds
Speak whole sentences clearly
Control his or her tone of voice, volume, or breaks between words
Realize his or her speech is hard to understand
A person with dysarthria may do the following:
Speak certain sounds louder than others
Sound harsh or raspy during speech
Pause for breath in the wrong places
Drop or slur parts of words
Speak slowly or in a way that sounds hesitant or halting
Speak without moving the mouth