W3b: Lecture 7 - Dysarthria in children Assessment Flashcards
Lecture 7
What is childhood dysarthria?
Childhood dysarthria is a neurological speech disorder that affects neuromuscular execution and results in difficulties with articulation.
What does “dysarthria” mean?
Dysarthria comes from “dys-“ meaning difficult or bad, and “arthron,” meaning articulation.
What speech-related abnormalities are associated with childhood dysarthria?
Dysarthria affects the strength, speed, range, and accuracy of movement required for breathing, phonation, velo-pharyngeal function, and articulation.
What are the effects of dysarthria on articulation?
It causes imprecise articulation.
How does dysarthria impact breathing during speech?
Children with dysarthria may have shallow, irregular breathing and speak using small residual pockets of air.
What resonance issues are common in childhood dysarthria?
Hypernasal speech and the audible escape of air through the nose during speech are common resonance problems.
What voice issues can occur in children with dysarthria?
Children may have:
- an atypical voice quality
- a monotonous voice
- low-pitched voice,
- or their voice may be too loud or too quiet.
How does dysarthria affect speech intelligibility and naturalness?
Dysarthria negatively affects both the intelligibility and naturalness of speech.
What are some common causes of dysarthria in children?
- Stroke
- traumatic brain injury
- genetic syndromes (e.g., Down syndrome)
- cerebral palsy are common causes of dysarthria.
What is cerebral palsy, and how is it related to childhood dysarthria?
Cerebral palsy is a group of developmental motor disorders affecting movement, balance, and posture, and it is one of the most common causes of childhood dysarthria.
Why is cerebral palsy significant in paediatric rehabilitation?
Cerebral palsy is the largest diagnostic group in paediatric rehabilitation and the most common motor disability in childhood.
What is the main aim of assessing dysarthria in children?
The aim is to:
- describe perceptual characteristics of speech
- identify affected speech subsystems
- assess the impact of dysarthria on speech intelligibility, naturalness, communicative effectiveness, and participation.
Which speech subsystems are evaluated in a dysarthria assessment?
The subsystems evaluated are:
- articulation
- phonation
- respiration
- resonance.
What other areas may be affected by dysarthria, apart from speech?
Dysarthria may also affect swallowing, language, and cognition.
What do the NICE guidelines (2017) suggest about assessing children with cerebral palsy (CP)?
The guidelines recommend assessing concerns about speech, language, and communication, including speech intelligibility.
What is one major issue highlighted in the assessment of paediatric dysarthria according to the NICE guidelines?
There is no standardised or agreed-upon paediatric dysarthria assessment tool.
What are the key steps in diagnosing dysarthria in children?
Key steps include:
- reviewing medical information and developmental history
- assessing oromotor function
- assessing perceptual speech characteristics
- assessing the function of each speech subsystem
- assessing intelligibility.
What early signs might indicate dysarthria in children according to Hodge (2004)?
Early signs include the persistence of infant reflexes, feeding difficulties, and dysfunction in non-speech activities.
What can the assessment of oromotor function determine in dysarthria?
It can determine the presence and type of dysarthria.
What aspects are observed during the assessment of oromotor function?
Observations include facial and neck muscle tone, movement of body parts used in speech (e.g., mandible, lips, tongue), and the range and consistency of movements
What tool can be used to assess oromotor function?
Informal protocols or standardized tools like VMPAC or the Robbins & Klee Test can be used
Is there a direct relation between the ability to produce oral movements in isolation and intelligible speech?
No, there is no direct relation between isolated oral movements and speech intelligibility.
What does the Mayo Clinic Dysarthria Study-based rating system assess?
It assesses the severity of impairment in respiration, pitch, loudness, voice quality, resonance, prosody, and articulation on a five-point scale.
What tasks are used to assess articulatory function in dysarthria?
Tasks include DDK tasks (diadochokinetic rate) and published assessments
