Management of flaccid dysarthria in a case of attempted suicide by hanging

Present study highlights a case of 26 year old male patient who was diagnosed as flaccid dysarthria due to delayed anoxic encephalopathy by attempting suicide through hanging. Assessment and management based on speech therapy has been emancipated. This case study concluded the importance of counseling and family centered approach regarding speech therapy outcome and alternative and augmentative communication (AAC). However, patient preferred verbal mode of communication and his lack of motivation failed the use of AAC with him. A composite therapy approach including traditional approaches, prosody and naturalness, increasing respiratory support along with visual biofeedback were used, which did not turned out to be effective. This dilemma to either direct therapy for verbal mode of communication which is not effective for the case or to use AAC needs further thinking and studies with more participants to find an appropriate solution which could lead us out of this impasse to some direction. Thus the challenge for speech therapists exists.