By Pam Marshalla
Q: Have you tried the SmartPalate? I am considering trying it with a few clients who have stubborn sound errors. I would like some input from people who used it first. The SmartPalate is a clinical electropalatometry tool and I have not used it. I have read all about it, however, and I am sure it will be very useful for some clients, but there are ways to do this without the expense. The SmartPalate provide visual feedback about place of articulation,…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: I have discovered that a mirror helps my young clients understand the idea of breath support for speech. Kids notice that their breath makes a fog on a mirror. I teach them to make longer and longer exhalations to make more and more fog and then they draw smiley faces in the fog on the mirror. Fun! Can you comment? My reading of historic artic books has revealed to me that we all end up developing the same methods…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: I received a referral for a 15-month-old diagnosed by a private SLP with apraxia. The child has excellent receptive language and produces 10-15 words. I was told that the child was an “automatic qualifier” coming in with the diagnosis of apraxia. I have huge reservations with this and do not feel as if the diagnosis was made appropriately in just in one session and not over time. There are no indications of motor difficulties elsewhere. Am I out in…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: My 5-year-old daughter has below average intelligence and she can say Bah, Mah, S, Da, and Nnn, but no real words. She has had speech therapy for two years. Could you suggest an oral appliance that can help her to improve oral muscles and tongue movement awareness? I am going to be very blunt here, and probably more straight forward than I would in a real therapy session in which I would gently lead you toward this idea over…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: My client has no back sounds, and he substitutes Sh and Ch for S. I cannot get a good S out of him. I have tried straws and the Ts technique you talk about, but he always makes a Sh or Ch. What do you think I should try next? I think you should try putting more attention on his tongue-tip to stimulate S and Z. The following excerpt about improving awareness and control of the tongue-tip is from…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: Do you like the “Moving Across Syllables” program? My supervisor says it works. All methods work for the right client at the right time. All you can do is try and see. If it works for him, it works. If not, perhaps it will work later on, or perhaps you need to find a different plan for him. The old-timers called this “trial-and-error.” Trial-and-error is not old-fashioned or out-of-step with modern therapy. It is the basis of what we do every…
