The treatment of a severe ataxic dysarthria, using electropalatography. Single case study

Electropalatography has been used successfully with several client groups (Hardcastle et al 1991). Intelligibility has been improved in children with articulation difficulties as a result of cleft palate, or with dyspraxia, or long standing phonological difficulties. There has been less work with adults and a very limited amount with acquired dysarthrics (Gibbon 1997). In the majority of cases reported, there has been a degree of improvement in intelligibility (eg Goldstein et al 1994). This is not a miraculous return to "normal speech", but an improvement, often where conventional speech therapy has failed. The Canterbury and Thanet Speech and Language Therapy Department, together with the local Community Dental Department and the University of Kent Medical Electronics Research Team, have undertaken a clinical trial. The intention was to have a subject group of at least 24 adult, acquired dysarthrics, and to compare the effects of electropalatography with conventional speech and language therapy in each case. Dr Rosemarie MorganBarry acted as a Speech and Language Therapy adviser and the research was funded by SE Thames Regional Health Authority. The results of this clinical trial will be fully reported in a separate paper. This paper reports on a single case history from within the trial.