Oral Motor Archives - Page 10 of 16 - Marshalla Speech & Language

Tag: Oral Motor

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…

Fixing an Inhaled S

By Pam Marshalla

Q: My client inhales on S. I have tried using a straw and a cotton ball to teach him about airflow. He does fine with these, but he doesn’t transfer the skill to S. Help! Your client probably continues to inhale on S because he “thinks” he is trying to say S. He has an auditory/motor memory for his own S that he is continuing to access. You have to help him learn to block access to this memory. Here…

Explaining “Articulation” and “Oral Motor”

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have been arguing with a colleague about “oral motor” and “articulation.” She does not seem to know what an articulation deficit is. She disputes the notion of an “articulation deficit,” and claims that there are only “phonological deficits.” Can you help me? I know what I mean, but I can’t seem to put it in the right words for her to grasp. I need help explaining what an “articulation deficit” is, and help in relating this to “oral…

The Roots of Oral-Motor Therapy: A Personal View

By Pam Marshalla

This opinion paper was originally posted as a downloadable PDF on my website, authored in March, 2011, and revised in April, 2011. Download the original PDF here. *** The Roots of Oral-Motor Therapy: A Personal View By Pam Marshalla, MA, CCC-SLP Speech-Language Pathologist Time The 1970’s was a time when SLP’s begin to work in multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams with OT’s, PT’s and other professionals. For the first time, SLP’s and motor specialists were sharing their thoughts and ideas regarding therapy with…

Resistance: The Most Powerful Oral Motor Technique

By Pam Marshalla

Q: What can I do to help my client learn to elevate his tongue-tip to produce /t/ and /d/? Any part of the tongue can be taught to elevate by providing something against which it can press. This is called “resistance.” (Resistance is not used to build strength. That is a misconception of the “anti-OM” crowd). Instead, resistance is used to develop specific new movement patterns. Press down lightly on the tongue-tip with a tool and ask the client to…

Eliminating Tooth Grinding

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have two girls with Down syndrome who grind their teeth on a regular basis. They are the same age and function at about the same level. What strategies would you use to help with this area? This is a tough question. We have no widely accepted strategies to eliminate tooth grinding other than the dental guard recommended by dentists. But my thinking has always been that if you can pinpoint the cause, then you can design a solution…

Oral-Motor/Artic Client

By Pam Marshalla

Q: My student has very uncoordinated oral movements and severely unintelligible speech. He is unable to elevate his tongue-tip, and therefore does not produce any alveolars. His S and Z are very frontal––like Th––and he reduces S-blends. How do I teach alveolars, and do I concentrate on S-blends or correct production of S and Z? Your client requires a whole semester class on how the body works, and how that plays into speech movement development. Questions like yours are the…

The Tools of Articulation Training

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I am confused over the term NS-OME (Non Speech Oral Motor Exercises). Some people are saying that we cannot use things like toothettes, bite sticks, whistles, or straws in therapy. I use many things like this in therapy. Shouldn’t we do whatever we can to help our clients learn to make speech sounds? Your question is a good one. Yes, we are supposed to use whatever we can to help our clients learn to produce speech sounds. Van Riper…

Starting Position for Speech Movement

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I am working on my master’s thesis on a topic related to the basis of articulation and the neutral/starting positions. I would like to expand my research beyond the linguistics domain into the neighboring fields of speed physiology and therapy. I read your notes “The Roles of Oral Rest Posture and Neutral Position in Articulation” and would like to cite it. Have you published it anywhere? Perhaps you have mentioned starting position in your other publications? I am currently…

Incomplete Evacuation of Food

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have a three-year-old male client who is beginning to talk. He is a very picky eater and rarely eats at school, although he has started eating a few bites of pear, apple, or fish crackers for me. He bites, lateralizes, and chews, but then he leaves the food smashed all over between his teeth and lips. Can you tell me why he may be doing this? How I can help him with creating a bolus and swallowing? He…