Hi, Would you be able to recommend some at home products? My daughter (8 yr. w/ Down Syndrome) is working on moving more air through the center of her mouth. Air is coming out the sides. Her therapist believes it will help her overall intelligibility. In addition to this central goal, she will be focusing on the production […]
Ask A Therapist: Tongue Thrust
I have been working with a 2, almost 3, year old patient for 10 months. He initially came to me with delayed speech — one-syllable words with limited vocabulary and reduced intelligibility. He now uses 5-6 word sentences spontaneously, intelligibility has increased, he has added new speech sounds and errors are primarily /th/ and blends. […]
Ask A Therapist: Straw #4
I have a student that will be transitioning to straw #4. The ¼ of an inch varies depending on how she puts the straw in her mouth. Do you have guidelines for this? Thank you for the question! In this case, the first twist must be resting perpendicular to her lower jaw.Start fast in three steps: […]
Ask A Therapist: Teeth Grinding
My child has no problems with eating or drinking, but grinds his teeth until I want to grind mine! His dentist says it’s common in kids with Down syndrome. I saw your teeth grinding items and wondered if they might help? He is 5 years old, does not speak much – he imitates sounds, growls […]
Ask A Therapist: “Fixing” During Horn Hierarchy Exercises
I use the horn hierarchy and really love the results. One of my clients, a young girl, tenses her muscles – shoulder, stomach, facial, etc, to blow and make the appropriate sound for appropriate duration. How do I stop this compensation? The client is “fixing” – using a compensatory pattern that lets the SLP know the client […]