TalkTools

TalkTools® — Header

Tag: DOWN SYNDROME

Sharing the Gift of TalkTools with Those Living on Roatan, Honduras

Kerry Tichi, MS CCC/SLP received a donation from TalkTools a few months ago to use with children and young adults with special needs during her trip to Roatan, Honduras. She writes about her experience and the impact it made on this population. “It is with much privilege and gratitude that I have been able to share the […]

March 20, 2017 administrator Success Stories Comments (0) Details
Tags: CATTLEYA, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDING THERAPY, HONDURAS, HORN HIERARCHY, HORN THERAPY, KERRY TICHI, OPT, OPT ASSESSMENTORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, ROATAN, SPECIAL NEEDS, SPEECH THERAPY, STRAW HIERARCHY, STRAW THERAPY, TALKTOOLS DONATIONTHERAPY ASSESSMENT, THERAPY SUCCESS, THIRD WORLD

4 YEARS 2&3 MONTHS: COMMUNICATION GRANTS BELLE THE INDEPENDENCE SHE DESIRES

4 Years 2 Months Belle is doing well despite our crazy busy schedule and lack of consistency with her oral motor exercises.  She is not regressing in any way, but I can’t say that I have seen significant gains in her speech clarity this month.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, right?  Her congestion has returned in full […]

December 26, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, CHEWING EXERCISES, CHEWING SKILLS, CHRISTMASCOMMUNICATION SKILLS, DOWN SYNDROME, FIRST SLEEPOVER, FOUR YEAR OLD, GUM CHEWING, GUM EXERCISES, NSOMEORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, Oral Placement Therapy, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOMESPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPYTODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD

TALKTOOLS TEAM AT THE LOWCOUNTRY BUDDY WALK

And … This is some of us from the TalkTools Team posing at the Lowcountry Buddy Walk last Sunday!!! We are so proud to have donated to this great cause and have met incredible people who live Down Syndrome as superheroes. TalkTools also helps the Down Syndrome community everyday with targeted courses and tools. To learn […]

October 5, 2016 administrator TalkTools News Comments (0) Details
Tags: #TALKTOOLSWORKS, ANNABELLE, ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATESBUDDY WALK, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRYDOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DSAL, TalkTools News, TALKTOOLS THERAPYVANESSA ANDERSON-SMITH

Success Story: Colter & Vanessa

In April of 2015, I received an e-mail about a little boy with Down syndrome named Colter. His mother was desperately seeking help…he couldn’t chew his food and she was at her wits end trying to figure out how to teach him. Even though this is “speech therapy,” his actual speech was not an issue […]

September 23, 2016 administrator Success Stories Comments (0) Details
Tags: A SENSORY-MOTOR APPROACH TO FEEDING, ANDERSON-SMITH SPEECH THERAPY, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, FEEDING THERAPYFEEDING THERAPY: A SENSORY-MOTOR APPROACH, HONEY BEAR, HONEY BEAR CUP, HONEY BEAR WITH FLEXIBLE STRAW, LIP CLOSURELIP ROUNDING, LORI OVERLAND, LOW TONE, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, ORAL MOTOR SYSTEM, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, ORAL MOTOR TRAININGORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, PRE-FEEDING, PRE-FEEDING EXERCISES, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH PRODUCTION, SPEECH THERAPY STORY, STRAW DRINKING, TALKTOOLS HIERARCHY, TALKTOOLS HONEY BEAR, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, THERAPY STORY, THERAPY SUCCESSTONGUE LATERALIZATION, VANESSA ANDERSON-SMITH

3 YEARS 8&9 MONTHS: SHE IS READING!

3 Years 8 Months Belle got her palatal expander out this month! Her “princess jewelry,” as we referred to it, was in for a total of six months. Even though her speech didn’t improve as substantially as I had hoped, it was still a success overall. Belle proudly states, “me got my princess jewelry out […]

August 29, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ABCS, ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, BELLE BEETSMABITE BLOCKS, CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, DENTIST VISIT, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME CHILD, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLER, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLERHOOD, JAW GRADING BIT BLOCKS, LANIE BEETSMA LIZ SMITHSON, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, PALATE EXPANDER, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME, SPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, SUMMER SCHEDULE, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, THREE YEAR OLD, THREE YEAR OLD GIRL, TODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD

3 YEARS 6&7 MONTHS: WHAT “WORK” LOOKS LIKE

3 Years 6 Months   This month I decided to include videos of Belle doing her oral motor exercises. They are not super exciting videos, but that’s what “work” looks like sometimes. I know we have to put in the time to see the results. And as I have said so many times previously, it’s […]

August 1, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, BELLE BEETSMA, BITE BLOCKSCHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME CHILD, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLERDOWN SYNDROME TODDLERHOOD, JAW GRADING BIT BLOCKS, LANIE BEETSMA, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, RED BITE BLOCKS, SPEECH CLARITYSPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME, SPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, TALKTOOLS BITE BLOCKSTALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, THREE YEAR OLD, THREE YEAR OLD GIRLTODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD, TONGUE TIP ELEVATION, TONGUE TIP LATERALIZATION, TONGUE TIP TOOL

Grace Kauk’s Oral Placement Therapy Work in Bulgaria

Grace Kauk writes about her Oral Placement Therapy work in Bulgaria. “I met Steve and Tanja Pankratz over email in February of 2015. Three weeks later, I was making plans to move to Bulgaria. The Pankratz’ are missionaries in Bulgaria through SEND International. Their 8-year-old son, Jaden, has Down Syndrome. When he was born, God began to […]

June 17, 2016 administrator Success Stories Comments (0) Details
Tags: A THREE PART TREATMENT PLAN FOR ORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, BUBBLE BLOWING, BUBBLE KIT, BULGARIA CHARITY, CHARITABLE TRIPCHARITABLE WORK, DISABILITY IN BULGARIA, DONATING, DONATION, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, GRACE KAUKHANDICAP IN BULGARIA, JAW GRADING BITE BLOCKS, NOVA STUPKE, OPT, Oral Placement Therapy, PORTAGE, RED BITE BLOCKSSELF EDUCATION, SELF-STUDY, SEND, SMILE, SPECIAL NEEDS IN BULGARIA, SUCCESS STORIES, TALKTOOLS BUBBLE KIT, TALKTOOLS NEWSTALKTOOLS THERAPY, VIDEO ON DEMAND, VOLUNTEERING

3 YEARS & 3 YEARS 1 MONTH: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE FIRE CRACKER!

3 Years She is 3! Happy birthday to this little fire cracker. Belle has MANY nicknames around our house including Beezy, Boppy, B-Belle, Belldozer, and Bops. She is very used to her nicknames and answers to all of them graciously . The nickname that I have been calling her lately, however, is Chatty Cathy. Three years ago I would […]

April 25, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE, ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, BIRTHDAYCOMMUNICATION, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, FAMILY REUNION, FAMILY ROAD TRIP, GIRL WITH DOWN SYNDROMEORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH THERAPY, TALKTOOLS, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPYTHREE YEAR OLD, THREE YEAR OLD BIRTHDAY, WHITNEY PIMENTEL

Success Story: Beth & Heather

In celebration of 30 years of successful therapy, we asked you to share your success stories with us at the last ASHA Convention and the response was amazing! Here are Beth Marafiote and Heather Peterson’s inspiring testimonials. “My name is Beth Marafiote and I live in Parker, Colorado. I discovered TalkTools and Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson many […]

March 17, 2016 administrator Success Stories Comments (0) Details
Tags: AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION, ASHA, ASHA 2015, ASHA CONFERENCE, ASHA CONVENTION, BETH MARAFIOTECONTINUING EDUCATION, DANDY-WALKER SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME CONNECTION OF THE BAY AREADOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DROOLING, FEEDING TOOLS, HEATHER PETERSON, OPT, Oral Placement Therapy, ORAL-MOTORSARA ROSENFELD-JOHNSON, SPEECH THERAPISTS, SPEECH TOOLS, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS, SUCCESS STORIES, TALKTOOLS

2 YEARS 8&9 MONTHS: UPS AND DOWNS

2 Years 8 Months Hello! Today we were walking through the snack/cereal aisle at the grocery store, and Belle had spotted something so she ran ahead. She quickly grabbed a box of the shelf and came running back with it, exclaiming with all her excitement, “Daddy fruit chews!” Three words. Clear as day. No question […]

February 29, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, COMMUNICATION, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME COMMUNICATION, DOWN SYNDROME GIRL, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DR KINDER, JULIA KINDER, OPTORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, Oral Placement Therapy, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH THERAPY FOR DOWN SYNDROME, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, VERBALIZATION, WHITNEY PIMENTEL