- The button pull and tongue depressor barbell are effective lip incompetence exercises that directly target lip closure and lip seal strength
- Lip rounding can be developed through bubble blowing, apraxia tubes, and the TalkTools® Straw Hierarchy
- Jaw stability must be addressed first or concurrently — the jaw provides the foundation for lip and tongue dissociation
- All exercises mentioned are detailed in the OPT for Speech Clarity and Feeding book by Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson
- For structured training, the 3-Part Treatment Plan for OPT™ course covers the full hierarchy of jaw, lip, and tongue exercises
Reader Question
From the Community
“Do any of your courses/products specifically address lip incompetence?”
Therapist Answer
Answered by Heather Vukelich, MS, CCC-SLP
Expert Response
Yes! Specifically, the button pull and tongue depressor barbell are two great lip incompetence exercises that address lip closure and lip seal. You can find those in the Oral Placement Therapy for Speech Clarity and Feeding book by Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson.
In addition, we target lip rounding with various strategies like bubble blowing (with and without bubble straw), the apraxia tubes, and the straw hierarchy.
Most importantly, the jaw needs to be targeted first or at the same time so that the lips are able to learn to dissociate as your work progresses!
Why Jaw Stability Matters for Lip Competence
Lip incompetence — the inability to achieve and maintain a resting lip seal — is a common finding in children with orofacial myofunctional disorders, low oral-facial muscle tone, and jaw instability. Specifically, in Oral Placement Therapy (OPT), jaw stability is addressed before or alongside lip exercises because the jaw provides the stable base from which the lips and tongue can develop independent, dissociated movement.
How Jaw Grading Affects Lip Closure Exercises
As a result, without adequate jaw grading, the lips often compensate — leading to incomplete lip closure, open-mouth posture, and difficulty with bilabial sounds, lip rounding, and functional tasks like straw drinking and bubble blowing. In practice, this means lip incompetence exercises are most effective when jaw work is already underway. For a deeper look at how Oral Placement Therapy builds jaw-lip-tongue dissociation, see our comprehensive OPT overview.
TalkTools® Tools Mentioned
Additionally, the following tools are directly referenced in Heather’s answer and are available through the TalkTools® shop. For a full overview of how these tools fit within the OPT framework, see Understanding Oral Placement Therapy.
Targets lip closure strength through progressive resistance. Also used in drooling remediation programs.
Bubble Kit (Bubble Hierarchy)
Promotes lip rounding, abdominal grading, and controlled oral airflow through a progressive bubble-blowing hierarchy.
Provides tactile cues for bilabial and lip rounding placement, supporting both apraxia and lip incompetence goals.
Straw Kit (OPT Straw Drinking Hierarchy)
Builds jaw-lip-tongue dissociation through 12 progressive stages, directly targeting lip rounding and oral motor coordination.
Recommended Courses & Resources
Furthermore, for clinicians ready to go deeper on lip incompetence treatment and the full OPT framework, TalkTools® offers targeted courses covering jaw, lip, and tongue hierarchies in detail:
Structured OPT Training for SLPs
🎓 Related Course
3-Part Treatment Plan for OPT™
TalkTools®’ foundational OPT course covers jaw, lip, and tongue hierarchies in depth — including the exercises referenced above. Learn when and how to use the button pull, straw hierarchy, bubble hierarchy, and more. ASHA & AOTA CEUs available.
Learn more →⭐ Also Recommended
Pediatric Client Evaluation Series: Lip Rounding and Tongue Mobility
This self-study course by Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP walks through a complete OPT evaluation and program plan for a child with no lip rounding and reduced tongue mobility. An ideal resource for clinicians working specifically with lip incompetence presentations. 0.2 ASHA CEUs.
View course →Browse all TalkTools® courses here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Lip Incompetence
Lip incompetence is the inability to maintain a lip seal at rest. Moreover, it is commonly seen alongside open-mouth posture, drooling, and orofacial myofunctional disorders, and can consequently affect bilabial sound production and functional tasks like drinking from a straw.
First, the button pull program and tongue depressor barbell target lip closure strength. Additionally, bubble blowing, apraxia tubes, and the straw hierarchy target lip rounding and jaw-lip dissociation. Finally, all are detailed in the OPT for Speech Clarity and Feeding book.
Jaw Stability and Clinical Training
In Oral Placement Therapy, the jaw provides the stable base that allows the lips to develop independent, controlled movement. Therefore, without jaw stability, lip exercises may not carry over to functional tasks like speech, feeding, or maintaining a resting lip seal.
The 3-Part Treatment Plan for OPT™ course and the OPT for Speech Clarity and Feeding book cover all exercises in detail. In addition, the Pediatric Client Evaluation Series on Lip Rounding is a highly targeted self-study option.