Feeding Specialist Weighs in on Favorite Mealtime Products!
Hi! My name is Liz Smithson, I am a speech language pathologist with over 20 years of experience working with people with speech and feeding disorders across all ages. I…
Ask A Therapist: Cranial Dystonia & Embouchure Disorder
Quick answer: Cranial dystonia is a broad term for dystonia affecting areas of the head/face (often including jaw, face, and tongue), which can impact chewing, speech, and swallowing. Embouchure dystonia…
Avoiding Backsliding: The Active Effort of Practicing Good Habits
Quick answer: When routines change, even strong skills can “backslide.” Practicing good habits helps us most. I STOP, pause my cues, and remember Elizabeth can do it and knows she…
A Parent’s Perspective: The Journey of Feeding & Mealtime
Quick answer: For Elizabeth, feeding was less about food variety and more about the motor planning steps of self-feeding. What helped was breaking utensil use into small steps, practicing often,…
Ask A Therapist: Tongue Tie Assessment
The question Do you have any advice for tongue tie assessment? Therapist answer Yes! The good news is we have many resources for TOTs, like an eLearning course for TOTs…
From the Experts: When Is Drooling an Issue and What to do About it
By: Lori L. Overland MS, CCC-SLP,C/NDT,CLC, FOM I am asked regularly by parents, therapists, physicians and participants who attend my courses how to address drooling. Copious drooling can be both…
Special Needs Parenting Newsletter: A Parent’s Perspective Introduction
Quick answer: This newsletter is where I’ll continue sharing Elizabeth’s journey and a parent’s perspective on therapy, growth, and day-to-day life with special needs. Welcome to this special needs parenting…
Managing Elizabeth’s Adult Schedule: Working on Enjoying Downtime
As many of us know, very rarely do our children with special needs stay on a plateau, an even keel or simply the same spot for long. There are always…
Ask a Therapist: Dopamine Feedback Loop
The question Do you know where I can find more information on the dopamine feedback loop when the alveolar ridge is stimulated? I know this was discussed when I learned…
Ask a Therapist: Lip Incompetence
Do any of your courses/products specifically address lip incompetence? Yes! The button pull, and tongue depressor barbell are two great exercises that address lip incompetence. You can find those in…