Ten-year study of a Wilson's disease dysarthric

This case study presents a ten-year speech treatment history of a young adult Wilson's disease patient in whom a severe dysarthria persisted despite drug and dietry controls. The patient was initially classified as “100% disabled” and was compensated because of his severe communication disorder. As he progressed, he ultimately secured full-time employment (involving verbal communication) which affords him economic independence. One aspect of therapy that played a critical role in the transfer of intelligible speech to situations outside the clinical setting was the use of a protocol for systematic client self-evaluation and for systematic elicitation and use of listener feedback. Methods that may prove helpful in the study of intelligibility maintenance in other dysarthric clients are presented. This report suggests that in some instances long-term therapy for dysarthria is both beneficial and economically justifiable.