This advice-column-style blog for SLPs was authored by Pam Marshalla from 2006 to 2015, the archives of which can be explored here. Use the extensive keywords list found in the right-hand column (on mobile: at the bottom of the page) to browse specific topics, or use the search feature to locate specific words or phrases throughout the entire blog.
What is a Tongue Thrust?
By Pam Marshalla
Q: Is four years old too early to address a tongue thrust?
The term “tongue thrust” has had many meanings through the years. It can mean:
- A strong forward thrusting of the tongue following the swallow.
- A reverse swallow pattern.
- An infantile suckle-swallow pattern.
- An interdental tongue protrusion on all lingua phonemes..
- An interdental tongue protrusion on all the lingua-alveolar phonemes.
- An interdental tongue protrusion on the all the sibilants.
- An interdental tongue protrusion on only S and Z.
To which are you referring? Your answer will help me give you an appropriate answer to your question.
I always thought that a tongue thrust was a basic oral motor function that impacted articulation in varying degress of severity. I’ve had to reteach swallowing for the student
to be able to achieve even a better relaxed resting posture. Carry over is tough! What’s your take on thsi, Pam?
What is a “Tongue Thrust”? — The term has had many meanings, depending upon the point of view of the writer and when the material was written. It has meant various things throughout the history of literature about articulation, cerebral palsy, feeding, and orofacial myology.
The following meanings have been assigned to the term “Tongue Thrust” —
Please read this article about the frontal lisp; it contains some of the bascs of what you are asking about.
Also please search my blog for questions about frontal lisp, reverse swallow, etc..