Month: December 2008

Evidence-Based Practice and Controversy Over My Work

By Pam Marshalla

Q: The lead SLP at my agency will not allow me to attend Pam Marshalla’s workshop on R therapy. She feels that Pam’s book suggests an oral motor approach that is not evidence-based. I think there is some confusion in our profession about the difference between placement techniques and oral motor exercises as a isolated activity. I work for a progressive educational agency that seems to be running scared of any controversial terms. Honestly, the amount of misunderstanding about oral…

PROMPT and Apraxia

By Pam Marshalla

Q: What is your opinion of PROMPT? I have a parent that believes that this is the only method to use with her apraxic child. I have tried to explain there are other methods to try. I am not PROMPT trained because of the time and expense. I also have not been formally trained in PROMPT, but I have seen it in action. It is a very good approach, perhaps one of the best for apraxia. But it is not…

Facilitating Tongue-Tip Elevation

By Pam Marshalla

Q: How can I get my client to elevate the tongue-tip instead of the blade to produce lingua-alveolar phonemes? Following my 22 Fundamental Methods of Facilitating Jaw, Lip, and Tongue Movements, I would do one or more of the following: Assist – Lift the tip with a tongue depressor. Associate – Find one phoneme in which the client elevates the tip, and use that phoneme movement to teach the others. Contrast – Contrast tongue-tip elevation with tongue-back elevation. Cue –…