Oral Motor Archives - Page 11 of 16 - Marshalla Speech & Language

Tag: Oral Motor

Sanitizing the Tools of Articulation Therapy

By Pam Marshalla

Q: We are wondering about hygiene and the use of tools in articulation therapy. What are the practices you use to keep your multiple-use tools sanitary from client to client? Guidelines Adhere to the following sanitary guidelines when handling objects that are used in, on, or around the mouth: Wood, paper, cardboard, sponge, cotton, leather, or hemp objects should be used once and then discarded. Dental floss also should be used once and then discarded. Plastic, rubber, vinyl, metal, and…

The King’s Speech was Dysarthric, Too

By Pam Marshalla

This opinion paper was originally posted as a downloadable PDF on my website, authored on April 29th, 2011. Download the original PDF here. *** The King’s Speech was Dysarthric, Too An analysis of treatment procedures reveals that fluency was not the only issue Discussions of the Oscar winning movie, The King’s Speech, have focused on the problem of stuttering and its impact on communication. This certainly has been a boon to our profession and a help to public understanding of this…

Background on the “L-to-R Slide” Method

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I am a college student and am doing a group report. We would like to discuss your “L-to-R Slide” technique. In order to do that we need an article that discusses it. Can you guide me to one? Before I answer your question, let me pose a philosophical question to you and to my broader reading audience: Why are individual articles that summarize one single study always considered superior to the writings of master clinicians who write practical manuals…

Stimulating the Bi-Labials

By Pam Marshalla

Q: How can I get a two-year-old to produce bi-labials? He substitutes /d/ for all of them. It is my observation that the bilabials emerge because the jaw goes up-and-down, not because the lips do anything. A baby begins to babble with bilabials by banging his jaw up-and-down while he is cooing (prolonging his voice). So when I am trying to get the bilabials, I get the child to produce voice, to prolong it, and then I stimulate the jaw to…

Basic Swallowing Therapy

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have a teenage client with a reverse swallow pattern and related anterior open bite. I plan to teach him correct oral rest, to swallow in an anterior-to-posterior direction, and to increase his tongue strength. Does this sound right? Is there something I am missing? Training correct oral rest position and correct swallow movements are the right basic ingredients of this therapy. But remember that oral swallowing entails two types of tongue movements: The tongue movements needed for food…

Drooling in Toddlers

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have a 15-months-old client with a repaired cleft palate who drools. Should I be working on the drooling issue? It is normal for a child to drool now and again until age three or so. I would not be concerned about the drooling unless the child was drooling profusely most of the time. If she were drooling most of the time, I would look at her feeding skills. Most children who drool to excess have feeding/swallowing issues as well….

Does Lateral Lisp Mean Dysarthria?

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have heard you say that jaw sliding to the left or right can cause one type of lateral lisp. I have also heard you say that this type of jaw instability is seen in children with dysarthria. Are you saying that a lateral lisp is a form of dysarthria? Excellent question! No. I am not saying that a lateral lisp is a form of dysarthria. I am saying that clients with expressive speech deficit often have problems in…

Fixing the Inhaled R

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have a nine-year-old client who inhales as she tries to say R. I have never seen this before. Do you know how to address this? There is a very simple old-time solution for this using a straw, a few sheets of tissue paper, and a few small cotton balls: Teach About Exhalation Place a cotton ball on the table and give the child the straw to hold at her mouth. Have the child blow through the straw at…

Exercise Routines

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Which of your books do you suggest for teaching me the number of repetitions or the amount of seconds for engaging in oral-motor exercises? I do not teach oral-motor techniques exercise routines. I teach oral-motor techniques to facilitate sound production. Therefore none of my books will give you that type of information. In general I do not measure the number of trials, or the number of seconds — I teach techniques to facilitate new movements for phoneme productions. The…

A Challenge to the Oral-Motor Naysayers

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I am a professor and clinical supervisor in a prestigious university program. I do not see jaw or tongue movement problems in the articulation and phonology clients I supervise. Are you saying that someone like me does not have good observation skills? No. I am not saying that you have poor observations skills. I am saying that you have not been trained to see what is happening right in front of you. Consider this: An SLP must go through…