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Tips for the person with dysarthria

• make sure background noise is kept to a minimum
• make sure you are in a good posture for speaking - that your chest is
  unrestricted and upright and your head up, allowing you to breathe freely
• choose words and sentences that make your speech most clear
• don’t leave the most difficult words until the end of the sentence as that is
  often the hardest place
• advise the listener how best to help you - the more relaxed they are the
  more successful things will be try and pay attention to the listener - if they look puzzled only repeat the part of the phrase that they have not understood, not the whole thing
• if you can’t make a sentence understood, try rephrasing it
• if speech is very difficult, establish a reliable way of communicating yes or
  no answers and agreed signals for other things that crop up regularly
• use all the devices you have been given, e.g. amplifier, alphabet board
• always consult with a speech and language therapist for advice

Tips for the communicative partner/listener

• assume that the person with dysarthria has good understanding and
  intelligence, so don’t simplify your language or slow it down
• ask the person with dysarthria if there is anything special that they would
  like you to do
• allow more time for communication and be patient - don’t rush in making
  assumptions about what the person is trying to say, but don’t be too reticent and unwilling to have a guess either
• make sure that the place where you talk is quiet and not too distracting
• encourage them to repeat the words you have not understood by telling
  them what you have understood e.g. ‘I know you went somewhere
  yesterday but I didn’t get where’
• encourage the person to spell out loud or at least give you the first letter of
  a word if necessary
• establish clear signals for yes and no
• encourage the strategies which you know help make the person’s speech
  clearer, such as slowing down or over-exaggerating articulation
• if you are using spelling strategies write down each letter as you find it out - it’s easy to lose track
• liaise with the speech and language therapist for advice