Respiratory support refers to the adequacy of breath supply and control for speech production. Normal speech requires a steady stream of subglottal air pressure; sufficient respiratory support ensures loudness, phrase length, and proper prosody in spoken language. Conditions such as certain dysarthrias, vocal fold paralysis, or other motor speech disorders can lead to decreased respiratory support, manifesting as reduced loudness, short phrases, or breathy/weak voice due to insufficient breath pressure.
Clinically, SLPs assess respiratory support by observing breath pattern and endurance during speech and may implement therapy techniques (e.g., breathing exercises, postural adjustments, expiratory muscle strength training) to improve a client’s breath control for stronger, clearer speech production.
Duffy, Joseph R. 2013. Motor Speech Disorders: Substrates, Differential Diagnosis, and Management, 3rd ed. Elsevier.
Spencer, Kristie A., et al. 2003. “Management of Respiratory/Phonatory Dysfunction in Dysarthria: Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines.” Journal of Medical Speech-Language Pathology 11 (2): xiii–xxxv. Link
