Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a muscle weakness of the tongue, lips, and cheeks that causes difficulty forming words and producing sounds.

What might you see?

• Speech is often slow, slurred, and garbled
• Problems with intonation or inflection

How can you help?

• The speech-language pathologist will prescribe exercises to improve the muscles used in speaking. Over time, these exercises may make the service member or veteran’s speech more clear. Encourage doing these exercises properly and regularly.
• Allow ample time for the service member or veteran to express themselves.
• Encourage them to take time to speak and pronounce the sounds more clearly.