Dysarthria vs. Aphasia in Children: What’s the Difference and How Can You Help?

Written by: Michelle Altamura, M.S. CCC-SLP TSSLD CAS

Watching your child struggle to speak can be confusing and emotional. Maybe their words come out unclear, maybe they say something that doesn’t make sense, or maybe they stop talking altogether. As a parent or caregiver, it’s natural to want answers—and fast.

Two speech and language challenges that can affect children are dysarthria and aphasia. They may look similar at first, but they come from different causes and require different types of support. Understanding the difference can help you get the right help for your child and feel more confident in what to expect.

What Is Dysarthria?

Dysarthria is a speech condition that happens when the muscles used for talking (like those in the mouth, face, or throat) are weak or hard to control. Kids with dysarthria know what they want to say, but their speech may come out slurred, too soft or loud, or with an unusual rhythm or tone. They may also run out of breath while talking or have trouble saying longer words.

This condition is often seen in children with:

• Cerebral palsy
• Muscular disorders
• Brain injuries
• Genetic conditions that affect movement

Dysarthria Symptoms You Might Notice:

• Slurred or slow speech
• Speech that’s too fast or too quiet
• Hoarse, breathy, or nasal-sounding voice
• Trouble being understood
• Normal understanding of language in many cases

It’s important to know: Dysarthria doesn’t affect what your child knows or understands—it affects how they are able to say it.

What Is Aphasia?

Aphasia is a language disorder that happens when the part of the brain that controls language is damaged. This often happens after a stroke, head injury, infection, or sometimes seizures. Most children with aphasia had normal language development until the brain injury happened.

Children with aphasia may struggle to understand what people are saying or have trouble finding the right words. They might use the wrong words without realizing it, mix up sentence structure, or speak in short or vague phrases. Reading and writing can also be hard.

Aphasia Symptoms You Might Notice:

• Trouble following directions
• Difficulty answering questions or telling stories
• Speaking in short or incomplete sentences
• Using the wrong word (e.g., saying “chair” when they mean “table”)
• Still able to move their mouth and muscles for speech (in many cases)

Unlike dysarthria, aphasia affects how children understand and use words, not just how they say them.

Dysarthria vs Aphasia: Key Differences

• Dysarthria = Trouble with the muscles used for speaking.
• Aphasia = Trouble with understanding and using language.

How Are These Conditions Treated?

Speech-language therapy can help both dysarthria and aphasia, but the approaches are different.

Helping a Child with Dysarthria

Therapy for dysarthria focuses on making speech clearer and easier to understand. Here are some common approaches:

1. Speech and Breathing Practice
   Kids learn how to control their breath and voice to speak in longer phrases, adjust their volume, and pace their speech. It often starts with fun games using sounds and breath, then builds up to real words and conversations.
2. LSVT LOUD® (Adapted for Kids)
   Originally for adults with Parkinson’s, this technique helps children speak more clearly by practicing louder speech. It can improve how strong and steady their voice sounds.
3. Barrier Games
   This is a fun way to practice giving and following directions. The child and adult each have the same materials (like Legos or pictures) but can’t see each other. The child gives instructions like “Put the red block on top.” If the adult doesn’t understand, they ask for clarification. It teaches the child how to fix unclear speech in a playful way.
4. Sound Contrast Games
   These activities help kids practice words that sound very similar, like “cat” and “cap.” By learning to hear and say small sound differences, children can become easier to understand.

Helping a Child with Aphasia

Therapy for aphasia focuses on building back the ability to understand and use language. Common strategies that SLPs may use include:

1. Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT)
   This uses singing patterns to help children speak. For example, singing “I want juice” in a rhythm can help the brain find the words. It’s especially helpful for children who understand language but have trouble speaking.
2. Script Practice
   Therapists and children create short scripts together based on real-life needs—like ordering food or saying hello. They practice these scripts until the words come easily and naturally.
3. Word Webs and Descriptions (Semantic Feature Analysis)
   If a child can’t remember a word, the therapist guides them through clues—what it looks like, where it’s found, or what it does. For example, if they can’t think of “ball,” they might say, “You throw it,” “It’s round,” and “You play with it.”
4. Stretching Sentences (Response Elaboration Training)
   If a child says one word like “dog,” the therapist helps them build on it: “Yes! That’s a big dog. What’s it doing?” The child might then say, “The dog is running.” This helps them learn to say more during conversations.

How Can Families Help at Home?

You are your child’s best support! Here are a few simple ways to help at home:

• Use everyday phrases over and over: “I want milk,” “Let’s go outside,” “All done.” Repetition helps.
• Play together: Join in on speech games or make your own during bath time, meals, or car rides.
• Celebrate effort: It’s okay if the words aren’t perfect—praise your child for trying!
• Talk to your child’s speech therapist: Ask what strategies they’re using and how you can carry them over at home.
• Be patient and stay positive: Progress takes time, but every small gain matters.

Final Thoughts

Clearer speech and stronger language skills help children connect with others, express their needs, and feel confident. Whether your child has trouble moving their mouth to speak (dysarthria) or trouble understanding and using words (aphasia), the right support can make a big difference.

With individualized speech therapy, fun practice at home, and your loving encouragement, your child can grow into a powerful communicator—one step, one sound, one word at a time.