Mr. Jones is 72 years old. He suffers from Parkinson's disease. Over the past few months, it has become increasingly difficult for him to speak. His voice is very quiet, almost like a whisper. It also seems that he's speaking faster and it is impossible to distinguish the sounds that he produces. His wife and his children almost hardly understand anything he says anymore. Furthermore, Mr. Jones has difficulty swallowing when he eats. He even has trouble swallowing his saliva.

Mr. Jones presents with dysarthria (a neurological speech disorder) and dysphagia (a swallowing disorder), conditions commonly associated with Parkinson's disease. Both dysarthria and dysphagia can also be seen people who have suffered from cerebro-vascular accidents (strokes), traumatic brain injury, or degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease.

These difficulties very quickly become hard to live with for affected individuals as well as for the people around them. For example, the simple task of eating can become a source of worry, as there may be avised choking at any moment . Furthermore, the inability to communicate with loved ones makes everyday life at times difficult to endure.

Too often, we think that there is nothing which can be done. However, people who suffer from dysarthria still have a need to speak and eat. The speech-language pathologist is the professional who can help. She analyzes the cause of the speech and swallowing problem and can suggest a program of breathing, voice, articulation, and swallowing exercises in order to improve the situation. If needed, the speech-language pathologist can also suggest other means of communication in order to supplement speech, (eg. using picture boards, natural gestures, etc.). Easy intervention is preferable, regardless of the severity of the problem, in order to avoid isolation and to preserve the quality of life, for as long as possible.