By Pam Marshalla
Q: What does oral motor therapy have to do with speech? I want to take another run at this question because it arises so often. Consider: Phonemes emerge when a child’s oral-motor control is immature. Think about [b], [d] and [g]. These early voiced stops emerge when a child is about 6 months of age. That means that the oral movements used during their production are primitive. These primitive movements refine over time. From an oral-motor perspective, we can say…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: I was at your Improving Intelligibility workshop this winter. On your handout, in regard to teaching voicelessness, you write: “Teach popping with p, t, k.” I did not write anything down and as I look back over the material I have no idea what “popping” is or how to teach it. Help! Ah yes, “Popping” is a term I made up. Let me explain… When children first learn [p], [t] and [k], they do so with productions that are…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: In your book, Successful R Therapy (pg 62), I read about how to help a client with hypernasality on R. That helped a lot. But I need help with the actual teaching part. How do I get the student to say the R without the nasal sound? Your client first needs to discover that sound comes out his nose and mouth differentially, and he needs to control this as he makes R. Use a flexible tube about 18 inches long and…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: It seems that children have an easier time understanding the Tip R. However, I know therapists that teach the Back R and seem to like it. Which method do you have more success with and why? In my book, Successful R Therapy, I state that the Tip R is much easier. It is easier to see, describe and understand. And it requires a more primitive movement pattern. Simply curling the tip up and back is something that babies do while vocalizing. I…
