Children’s rapid speech can be difficult to understand pacing board speech therapy. A pacing board is a simple but powerful instrument that can assist patients slow down their speech speed and, in many situations, and  improve their intelligibility.

Increase the difficulty level to meet your patient’s requirements and ambitions

Work with your patient’s motor ability. If they have fine motor issues, for example, they may slide their finger across the dots, pausing on each dot to say each phrase.

Also, work with your patient to determine the most comfortable positioning for the pacing board. This could be closer to their body, more distant slightly to the left or right, etc. and the care team on how and when to utilize the pacing board.

For example, one patient could only require the pacing board during communication breakdowns. While another patient finds it useful after 3 p.m., when they are fatigued. While another patient requires it all the time.

Dysarthria Pacing Board System and pacing board speech therapy

For patients who have dysarthria, the purpose of a pacing board is to slow down their speech tempo in order to enhance pronunciation and intelligibility.

• In front of the patient, arrange the pacing board such that it is both comfortable and conveniently accessible.
• When a patient has moderate to severe dysarthria, have them practice reading short words or sentences while pointing to one dot on the pace board for each syllable.
• Raise the difficulty to lengthier phrases, paragraphs, etc. as necessary.
• During basic talks, have the patient point to one dot for each syllable as they become accustomed to self-pacing.
• Start pointing to one dot for each syllable when speaking in sentences and engaging in small talk, etc., if your dysarthria is milder. As necessary, extend the duration of the self-paced reading and discussion.

How is the pacing board to be used?

• 5 minutes every day.
• Permit your kid to select a board game.
• Make sure to indicate the pace every time you talk.
• As you generate every rhythm or phrase, ensure that you
• point to an image, such as a single snail, if you were to say
• Since the word “I’m” only has one beat, you might point to two
• snails, given that the word “going” contains two beats.
• Be sure to shift the board from the left to the right.
• repeatedly when constructing your sentences.
• For example, when you declare, “I’m going to go first,” you would gesture to the pacing board six times.

For whom is a pacing board speech therapy useful?

Adults and children with acquired and developmental communication impairments can benefit from the usage of pacing boards. They can be used to target the generation of multisyllabic words, encourage an acceptable speech tempo, target the use of fluent speech, and/or extend the length and/or complexity of speech and language. Pacing boards are a useful tool for teaching phonological processes such final consonant deletion, in which each sign in the board corresponds to a letter in the target word. By using a symbol on the board as a reminder to take a breath, this tool can also be utilised to promote proper breath support.

How to Start Pacing

• Setting up your baseline for every task is the first step in starting to pace yourself. The quantity of that activity you can perform before experiencing a major flare-up is known as the baseline.
• Even while more discomfort is to be expected, particularly when starting a new activity, you want to quit the activity before the pain gets too intense to manage. Any measurement of your tolerance, such as time, speed, distance, or repeat count, can be used as the baseline.
• Comparing your initial performance level in an activity to your pre-injury or pain performance level is a common mistake. This usually results in an excessively high baseline and a cycle of over- and under-activity.
• Remember to establish baselines for tasks like sitting, reading, and computer work that need extended periods of inactivity. When planning your day, these sedentary activities are sometimes overlooked, but because they constantly strain the neck and back or require repetitive upper extremity movements, they can exacerbate pain levels.
• If you intend to complete the task in intervals, as in the case of the previously given vacuuming example, the next step would be to establish a rest or break time. During the rest/break period, one could stretch or practice deep breathing exercises. You might want to go on to something else, like standing up from sitting, that allows your muscles to relax and changes your position.

When given instructions to pace oneself during a project or take breaks, people frequently get irritated. They think the task will take twice or three times as long and they will never get anything done. But the total duration is frequently greater than the amount of time required to factor in breaks when the activity time is added to the amount of time required to manage or reduce the elevated degree of discomfort.

Many people forget to pace themselves during particular ‘danger’ times

Days when your strong abilities make you feel wonderful and overconfident.
While practicing a physical activity that you enjoy.
When attempting to win over others.