Year: 2015

We have some fun pictures in this update including one of Belle with her extremely loving brother and sister. You can also see Belle enjoying her veggie straws at therapy (notice her food placement on her side molars) and having fun with some Play-Doh.    Our family’s schedule has been quite busy lately, so I try my best to get […]

Recently, TalkTools® Presenter Robyn Merkel-Walsh, MA, CCC-SLP joined Jeff Stepen, MS, CCC-SLP on his podcast, Conversations in Speech Pathology. In the podcast, Robyn discusses common misconceptions about Oral Placement Therapy (OPT). Click below to listen to the podcast. We encourage everyone to add their thoughts for discussion in the comments section on the Conversations in Speech Pathology page.

It is funny but just as soon as you get used to something, that something changes.  I am sure everyone can sympathize with that, right?  Well, this is how I was feeling about Elizabeth’s new school year, her last year in elementary school.         I had managed to figure out a few things: How […]

by: Dr. Jennifer Jones, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S As a Board Certified Swallowing Specialist,  I am asked on a regular basis about why other therapists, nurses, physicians and general population need to know more about dysphagia and the symptoms. Dysphagia is a growing health problem in the United States and the prevalence will increase significantly over the […]

Belle is continuing to progress month after month. She has become more vocal, and she has officially mastered walking. Belle is confident in her ability to walk anywhere she wants to go. She consistently says 23+ words and is trying to say several more but may leave the beginning or ending sounds off. For example, in […]

By: Robyn Merkel-Walsh MA, CCC-SLP Presentation of the Problem: Individuals with Down syndrome are at risk for what is known as Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders or OMD. OMD can impact the oral phase of feeding, oral resting postures and oral placement skills for speech clarity. OMD issues require tactile therapies which include Myofunctional and Oral Placement Therapy (OPT). Myofunctional therapy […]

      TalkTools is heading to the National Down Syndrome Congress Annual Convention this week in Phoenix. We hope to see many of you there! We have two tables where you can visit us to find out more information about our workshops, services, and products. We will be located at tables 410 and 412, and will have lots of […]

Learning something from a previous experience or mistake is a common thing in life.  We all do it.  But putting into action what you learned may take more effort.  I think this is common as well.  As I left off on the last blog, we were exiting second grade and a year that proved full […]

Belle is now 20 months old and is continuing to do well. She has started walking so she has been focusing a lot on mastering that skill. Her talking has slowed down a little bit but she has picked a few new signs and words this month. I am pleased with the tone that I see around […]

Elizabeth is one of those children, lucky or unlucky, depending on how you see it, who has a summer birthday. These children get to wake up and automatically be off on their birthday, go outside to play, and enjoy their day but they don’t get to celebrate their day with classmates in the form of […]