You have no idea. You have no idea what it is like...not to be able to talk : exploring the impact and experience of acquired neurological dysarthria from the speaker's perspective

Abstract

This thesis explores the impact and experience of acquired neurological dysarthria. Despite the fact that this is the most commonly acquired speech disorder, little has been written to date on its psychological impact, particularly from the speaker’s perspective. Consequently, traditional approaches to assessment and treatment focus on impairment and activity but ignore the psychological effects of acquired dysarthria. Using both quantitative and qualitative methodology, the impact, experience and perceptions of 31 people with acquired neurological dysarthria were explored. These individuals provided information on the impact of acquired dysarthria on the person and on his/her self-concept. Eleven of these 31 people took part in qualitative in-depth interviews. Twenty of the 31 participated in a task to explore their perceptions of speech intelligibility. Their perceptions were compared with those of speech and language therapists and naive listeners. Primary communication partners’ understanding of the impact of acquired dysarthria was also explored and the partners of 30 of the 31 people participated in this section of the study.