Dysarthria in Friedreich's Ataxia

• Impairment of ability to produce clear speech caused by muscular dysfunction secondary to central or peripheral nervous system disease.

Excellent articles found on the MDA website:
Hard to Swallow - August 1999
Sorting Out Speech Services - Feb. 2001 

A Parent's Observation--

Speech changes and swallowing/choking problems seem to be prevalent in all of the FAers I have met who are somewhat advanced in their symptoms.

Slurred speech was listed as a common symptom when I did a survey of the INTERNAF group several years ago.

I think the nerves to the mouth, tongue and throat begin to lose their ability, the same way legs and arms do. Coordinating breathing, swallowing, drinking, speaking and laughing  seems to become much harder as this disorder progresses.

The friends I have made who are in their 30s with FA all have a tendency to run out of air before they run out of sentence. They  have difficulty being understood by outsiders or on the phone. Coughing and choking becomes a full body experience, and as one friend told me, they often bang their knee into the underside of a desk while coughing, or slam their
forehead into the tabletop with a sneeze. Startle reactions seem exaggerated.

These are more of the side effects that FA causes, unfortunately. I am seeing some choking with my daughter, recently. She has been on NAC for several years. I know many people have observed this product thins mucus. That is what it is used for in respiratory therapy. That doesn't seem to be the issue. It really seems to be a lack of coordination.

-ww (FA Parent)