SLURRED SPEECH

[SHIVAJI29]

I really struggle with my speech

can any1 help

[edfosho]

I believe it affects everyone differently. For me, several deep breathes (slowly) helps when it gets really tough to get the words out.

Hopefully you've had (or will get) a chance to see a speech therapist.

[wobblybee]

Problems with my speech seem to come and go..I find it’s worse in social situations when the focus is on me for a reply.. General advice is to slow down when speaking, and try to stay relaxed 🙂

A Speech & Language Therapist can offer good advice..and there was a useful link here a while ago (from AtaxiaUK) to Lee Silverman Voice Therapy sessions.

In a project funded by Ataxia UK and the Swiss Association of Friedreich’s Ataxia (ACHAF), Professor Anja Lowit showed positive results using Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) for ataxia.

Many people with ataxia have slurred speech (dysarthria) which makes communication difficult. Few studies have been conducted to test speech therapy interventions on people with ataxia, and none have provided evidence to advise speech and language therapists about how to best help people with ataxia.

A research team from Strathclyde University investigated the effectiveness of LSVT in improving communication in 20 people with ataxia, including FA, SCA6, idiopathic CA and spastic paraplegia type 7 (SPG7). LSVT has previously shown positive results in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Sessions of 50-60 minutes were administered via Skype, twice a week over eight weeks and patients were advised to practise another four or five times a week.

This study represents the largest speech therapy treatment trial conducted on people with hereditary ataxia, and the results are very encouraging. After therapy, participants had more breath available to speak, resulting in improvements in their voices sounding less strained. The study did not show improvements in ability of others to understand participants when listening to recordings, but many felt they sounded clearer or had to repeat themselves less, and were more confident when communicating. Outcomes reported by the participant demonstrate that they felt lessened anxiety while communicating or reduced effort required for speaking, were important factors that can be used a measure of success of the treatment.

Professor Lowit said: “We are excited about the outcomes of our study, as it shows that people with ataxia can improve their communication with the help of speech therapy. Although the treatment could not improve everybody’s speech, the majority of our participants reported benefits and we now plan to do further research to be able to help a wider group of people with ataxia.”

The researchers suggest that speech and language therapists consider providing LSVT treatment for people with ataxia, provided that the impact of the treatment is closely monitored.

This research has recently been published in a scientific journal. Read the full article here.

Posted 02/07/2020

Copied from ataxia.org.uk

[CambioOOOW]

Pratcice toung twisters n breathing;-}

[Oroklinibabe]

HiDo u belong to ataxia uk ?

They are running speech therapy at the moment. If not ask your gp for some speech therapy . I’ve just had the their input is really helpful . Try to slow down and articulate really carefully, it makes a major difference

[Oroklinibabe]

I was part of Anja’s study that wobblybee talks about. It really makes a difference

[Klutzy]

I have undiagnosed ataxia, so I don’t know if my ataxia symptoms are a secondary cause like MS.

I have slurred speech when I’m super tired. At a job I was just doing people often commuted they couldn’t understand my words. It sounded normal to me, so that was scary. I just talk very slow and try to pause more.

[Driven1]

Slurred speech is an indicator that your swallowing will be at risk with food/water entering your lungs. See a Speech pathologist ASAP