Speech & Language Therapy

We deal with 3 main areas:

• Speech

A difficulty with the movement of muscles involved in speaking

• Communication

A difficulty with understanding and expressing your words

• Swallowing

A difficulty with muscles of chewing, swallowing and coughing

• Speech problems are a common side effect from DBS
• Speech can change in speed and clarity
• You may find you are less clear; friends and family may ask you to repeat yourself
• These changes can happen months or years after your DBS
• Some people also have swallowing and saliva changes related to their underlying condition and we can help you with these problems

For every patient, their condition and response to DBS is individual, but we can:

• Maximise your speech prior to your surgery
• Offer therapy & monitoring after your surgery to support speech changes

Therapy generally targets volume, rate of speech and clarity of speech.

You may also have a Speech Therapy assessment as part of your pre-DBS tests.

We can offer face to face, telephone or video appointments. 

If you are concerned about your speech, please ask your Consultant or any member of the team to make a referral.

Therapy can be offered from our team Speech Therapist or from your local Speech Therapist.

Family and friends are welcome to join your appointments if you wish.