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Tag: DOWN SYNDROME

4.7 YEARS: MORE INTELLIGIBLE THAT I THOUGHT

Hello! Belle has been a little under the weather this month, and I have been a little concerned that her level of articulation has declined a bit as we have opted out of oral motor exercises so she can catch an afternoon nap or doctor’s appointment, etc. Overall, I think she is starting to feel better as […]

May 10, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ARTICULATION, DOWN SYNDROME, INTELLIGIBILITY, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, PRESCHOOL SCREENING, READING, READING SKILLSSPEECH ASSESSMENT, SPEECH THERAPY

4.6 YEARS: ENJOYING NEW FOODS

March has been an exciting month for Belle! We traveled to the beach to visit family and enjoyed some fun in the sun. She enjoys the plane rides and new restaurants and new foods like calamari and key lime pie. In our video this month, Belle shows off her gum chewing skills. She has improved […]

April 10, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: BLENDED SOUNDS, CHEWING SKILLS, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDING THERAPY, GUM CHEWING, MONICA PURDY, OPT, ORAL MOTORORAL MOTOR PROGRAM, Oral Placement Therapy

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

TalkTools Honduras OPT Outreach: Serving Roatan Children Home › Blog › TalkTools Honduras OPT Outreach: Serving Roatan Children Global Outreach TalkTools OPT Outreach: Transforming Lives in Honduras TalkTools Honduras OPT outreach reached CATTLEYA school in Roatan when Kerry Tichi, MS CCC/SLP, used a TalkTools donation to assess, train, and equip over 30 children with disabilities. […]

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

Down Syndrome Feeding Therapy: Colter’s Chewing Progress Home › Blog › Down Syndrome Feeding Therapy: Colter’s Chewing Progress Success Story Down Syndrome Feeding Therapy: Colter’s Chewing Progress Colter’s Down syndrome feeding therapy journey shows how targeted oral motor work and the TalkTools pre-feeding hierarchy helped him move from unsafe swallowing to successful chewing. TT Vanessa […]

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: Oral Placement Therapy in Bulgaria Home › Blog › Grace Kauk’s Oral Placement Therapy Work in Bulgaria Global Outreach Grace Kauk’s Oral Placement Therapy Work in Bulgaria Grace Kauk traveled to Bulgaria to support Jaden — a child with Down syndrome — and the Nova Stupke foundation, bringing TalkTools OPT tools and training […]

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