DYSARTHRIA PROGRAMME
FACIAL MUSCLES
Clear articulation of speech requires good movement of the lips, jaw, tongue
and palate. If you have any facial, lip or tongue weakness this can affect the
production of some sounds and make your speech sound "slurred". These
exercises are aimed to improve the range, strength, speed and accuracy of
movement of the muscles of your lips and tongue.
Lips
1. To practise lip rounding, push your lips forward as far as possible as if
you were whistling. Then relax. Repeat slowly 10 times.
2. Now practise this exercise saying the sound "OO" which is made with
your lips in the pursed position. Repeat 10 times.
3. Stretch your lips in a broad smile, relax and repeat 10 times.
4. Now practice this exercise saying the sound "ee" which is made with
your lips in the spread position. Repeat 10 times.
5. Now alternate between pursing and stretching your lips. Repeat 10
times.
6. Now practise alternating the sounds "OO" "EE". Repeat 10 times.
7. Hold your lips together tightly for a count of five. Then relax. Repeat 10
times.
8. Hold your lips together tightly and puff out your cheeks with air. Hold this
position for a count of five and then release the air. Repeat 10 times.
Trudi Jenkins
The Communication Clinic
0771 831 9783
9. Raise your upper lip in a "snarl" to bare your teeth. Hold for a count of
five and relax. Repeat 10 times.
10. Practise saying these strings of sounds which are made with your lips.
Aim to make a clear sound each time.
bababab
papapap
mamamam
wawawaw
11. Now practise these short words containing the sounds b, p, m and w
me pea bee we
my pie bye why
move pam bow war
map beam wham
mop bomb whim
more
maybe
Trudi Jenkins
The Communication Clinic
0771 831 9783
Tongue
1. Stick your tongue out as far as possible and then pull it back into your
mouth. Relax and repeat 10 times.
2. Raise the tip of your tongue to behind your top teeth. Relax and repeat
10 times.
3. Raise the tip of your tongue outside your mouth towards your nose.
Then relax. Repeat this up and down movement 10 times.
4. Move your tongue to touch each corner of your mouth alternatively.
Relax. Repeat 10 times.
5. Push your tongue into each cheek. Repeat 10 times.
6. Slowly lick your lips. Start at one corner of your mouth and lick all the
way round to where you started from.
7. Move your tongue in between your teeth and lips. Begin with your upper
lip and teeth and work your way from one side to the other. Then
repeat, moving your tongue between lower teeth and lip. Repeat 10
times.
8. Practise these series of sounds made with the tongue raised up to
behind your top teeth.
ta ta ta ta
la la la la
da da da da
na na na na
9. Now practise these short words containing these sounds.
tea late tan light done
Trudi Jenkins
The Communication Clinic
0771 831 9783
do lad toad dole toil
not mail deal dune loan
10. Also practise raising the back of your tongue as in the sounds (k), (g)
and (ng)
car go long
key guy gang
core gurgle tongue
cake giggle song
cook wig hang
Trudi Jenkins
The Communication Clinic
0771 831 9783
PITCH & INFLECTION CONTROL
1. To extend the pitch range, sing up and down part of a scale; e.g. low,
middle, high using the sounds /la/, /ah/, /bee/, /da/ etc. If you ave a tape
recorder record this excerise and listen back to hear how many changes you
are able to produce.
2. Once you are able to produce 5 distinct changes reliably practice the
folowing exercise:
Using the folowing sounds /ah/ or /ooh/ glide up and down as follows:-
1. H
2. H
3. M
4. M
5. H
Trudi Jenkins
The Communication Clinic
0771 831 9783
M
6. H H
7. H
M M
As you become competent in making these changes, treatment will focus on
incorporating this ability into speech, initially short sentences and later normal
everyday speech.
Trudi Jenkins
The Communication Clinic
0771 831 9783
