By Pam Marshalla
Q: How do you get a tongue-tip to curl up and back toward the velum for the retroflex R? I have been using cream cheese, but it does not stick to the palate well, and I have been pushing the tongue back, but the child just doesn’t get what I want him to do. First, using food on the palate is an old-time popular method to stimulate tongue movement, but I never use food. You have to analyze the stimulus. …
By Pam Marshalla
Q: Are there any exercises one can give to extend the tongue frenum instead of having the client get a frenectomy? Are these exercises are proven scientifically? From long ago, therapists have said that “tongue exercises” could stretch the frenum, but I have never seen anyone spell out what those exercises would be, nor have I seen any data that would prove that any certain exercises do help. My own personal experience is this: Clients tend to move their tongues…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: How do you stimulate for tongue stability at the back-lateral margins when a child is too young to understand what you are talking about? That is a great question. The position of tongue stability is the same as Long E, as in the word “bee.” So with the little guys, I don’t try to explain it. I just over work Long E for a very long time. These are the types of things I do: Overwork the diminutives: kitty,…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: Should a lateral lisp be treated for a three-year-old when it is present in the speech of a parent? Maybe it will not be outgrown? I always treat lateral lisp as early as possible because I do not believe that it is ever outgrown. The lateral lisp is a deviant sound, not a delayed sound. Therefore more time will not necessarily make it go away. If anything, the lateral lisp seems to get more habituated as the child gets…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: I have a number of clients whose L doesn’t sound right. The tongue-tip is lifting to the alveolar ridge, but the sound is muffled and just a little distorted. Do you have any suggestions? The tongue-tip probably is elevating without the full tongue thinning enough. Try this: Have the client say La-La-La with the jaw lower. Lowering the jaw usually thins the tongue. Have him say Ah first, and have him keep saying Ah while he says L. Make…
By Pam Marshalla
In case you have never seen one, I found these photos of restricting lingua frenums in infants online.
By Pam Marshalla
Q: Is the best approach for ankyloglossia to do a back r? If the tongue-tip is tied down, the client will be unable to stretch the tip up and back far enough for a Tip R (retroflex R). You will have no choice but to teach a Back R. But, as you know, the Back R can be much harder for many kids. That’s an excellent reason to have the frenum surgically altered. I always refer a client with a…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: How young do you see children with a lateral lisps? Most SLPs leave the lateral lisp alone until age 6-8. However, I and many other therapists address it earlier with children 4 and 5 years of age. I work on the following with younger kids– I make sure that T and D are midline and not lateral. If they are lateral, I straighten them out. I use a straw for this– They produce T into the straw held outside…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: I have been teaching R using your L-to-R sliding and tapping methods. However the further back my client tries to pull his tongue-tip the more it pulls to his left. He cannot keep it at midline past the middle of his palate, and he is not able to get a good R. I have not encountered this, but these are the methods I would use to address it– Have him use his finger, or another tool, and trace down…
By Pam Marshalla
Q: My teen client has low tone, mild articulation problems, problems with intelligibility, and imprecision of articulation (interdental lingua-alveolars, F/Th, and distorted R). He has a slack jaw and forward tongue posture at rest. His tongue appears flaccid. Cognitive skills are okay. I went to your class called 21st Century Articulation Therapy and am trying to figure out which methods to use to address low tone in speech. Also what should I do about the tongue thrust? In terms of…
