Child Dysarthria Exercises

Dysarthria affects speech clarity, making it difficult for kids to communicate. Discover effective home activities to boost your child’s confidence and improve their speech skills.

Key Takeaways:

• Consistent practice improves speech clarity in kids with dysarthria.
• Focus on fun, repetitive speech exercises tailored to your child’s daily life.
• Non-speech activities, like blowing bubbles, help strengthen oral muscles.
• Tactile and visual cues enhance learning and engagement.

How can I help my child with dysarthria at home? You can help your child with dysarthria at home by engaging in consistent practice, focusing on repetitive speech exercises, mimicking visual cues, and incorporating non-speech activities like blowing bubbles or using tactile prompts to strengthen oral muscles.

Speech Therapy Activities to Try at Home

Remember – consistency is key! Even short, regular practice sessions can make a big difference over time.

1. Focused Repetition

• Practice, Practice, Practice: Choose simple phrases relevant to your child’s life, such as days of the week, the names of family members, or favorite foods.
• Start Slowly: Break down the phrase into smaller parts, practicing each sound or syllable individually before putting it all together.
• Make It Fun! Turn it into a game, where each correct repetition earns a point towards a small reward, or sing the phrases to a silly tune.

Read more: What is Dysarthria?

2. Mimic Me!

• Show, Don’t Just Tell: Kids often learn best visually. Exaggerate your mouth movements as you say a word or short phrase, encouraging your child to watch and copy you.
• Play a Game: Turn it into a fun guessing game. Silently mouth a word and see if your child can guess what you’re saying or have them take a turn being the “speaker.”

3. Get Those Muscles Working

Non-speech oral motor exercises target the muscles used for speaking, improving strength and coordination.

• Bubble Power: Blowing bubbles is a fun, engaging way to exercise those lips and cheeks!
• The “Puh” Challenge: Have your child practice forcefully saying “puh,” focusing on the popping sound at the end.
• Animal Antics: Pretend to be a lion roaring, a fish puckering its lips, or a monkey puffing out its cheeks – it’s all good practice!

4. Tools & Techniques

• Straw Power: Have your child practice speaking while sucking through a straw. This helps strengthen their oral muscles.
• Tactile Cues: Sometimes, a gentle touch can be helpful. For example, lightly tap under your child’s chin as a cue to remind them to close their jaw when speaking.

Read more: Does My Child Need Speech Therapy Quiz

5. Beyond Speech Sounds

Dysarthria can affect more than just speech clarity. Here are some other areas to target:

• Breath Support: Playful breathing exercises like blowing out birthday candles, making pinwheels spin, or blowing cotton balls across a table can help strengthen the muscles used for speech.
• Slow & Steady: Encourage your child to slow their speech rate. A slower pace can greatly improve speech intelligibility.

Table for Fun Speech Therapy Activities

Activity	Targeted Skills
Singing along to favorite songs	Articulation, rhythm, breath support
Telling a story with picture cards	Sequencing, vocabulary, speech clarity
Reading books together	Articulation, fluency, reading skills
Playing “I Spy”	Vocabulary, describing, articulation

Important Reminders

• Every Child Is Unique: What works for one child might not be the best fit for another. Experiment to find what helps your child most!
• Seek Guidance: While these activities are a fantastic starting point, working with a qualified speech-language pathologist (SLP) is essential. An SLP can provide a personalized evaluation, treatment plan, and specialized exercises to help your child reach their communication goals.

Trying child dysarthria speech therapy activities at home can be incredibly rewarding! With patience, consistency, and a playful approach, you can support your child’s communication journey every step of the way. Above all else, always remember to celebrate even the smallest victories!

Resources:

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

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FAQs About Child Dysarthria Speech Therapy Activities

What is dysarthria?
Dysarthria is a speech disorder that causes difficulty controlling the muscles used for speaking.  This can make a child's speech slurred, slow, or difficult to understand.

What are some speech therapy activities I can do at home with my child?
Try simple repetition exercises, mimicking games, blowing bubbles, practicing with straws, and other fun activities that target speech muscles.

How often should I practice speech therapy activities with my child?
Even short but regular practice sessions (around 10-15 minutes a day) can make a big difference for kids with dysarthria.

Can at-home speech therapy activities replace professional help?
Home practice is a wonderful supplement, but it's important to work with a qualified speech-language pathologist (SLP) for personalized guidance and treatment specific to your child's needs.

Where can I find more information about dysarthria and speech therapy?
Check out these trusted resources: The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA), and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

This post was originally published on 03/30/2023. It was updated on 09/12/2024.