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Tag: SPEECH DEVELOPMENT

Speech Intelligibility: Overcoming Unclear Speech with Targeted Therapy

If people often say “Huh?” to your teen, daily life gets harder. As a result, class talks, hangouts, and even ordering food can feel stressful. Speech intelligibility means how much of your teen’s speech others understand. Fortunately, a study with 60 adolescents found two therapies helped—oral placement therapy (OPT) and expressive therapy. Both groups improved […]

December 2, 2025 jayne General Comments (0) Details
Tags: adolescents, ARTICULATION DISORDER, ARTICULATION THERAPY, COMMUNICATION SKILLS, expressive therapy, Oral Placement Therapy, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, speech intelligibility, SPEECH THERAPY

4.9 YEARS: FULL SUMMER MODE!

We are in full summer mode here! Belle has been enjoying some horseback riding lessons, swimming, cheering on her siblings at baseball games, and finishing up a great dancing year with a big dance recital. The recital took up a substantial part of the beginning of our summer, so that’s where all our pictures came from […]

August 1, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE BEETSMA, CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, DANCE RECITAL, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME SPEECH THERAPY, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, GIRL WITH DOWN SYNDROME, HORN #6, LANIE BEETSMA, MONICA PURDY, OPT, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY FOR DOWN SYNDROME, TONGUE RETRACTION, VOCABULARY

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

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 4&5 MONTHS: EATING PROPERLY

3 Years 4 Months   Here are Miss Belle at 3 years 4 months. I think her dental appliance is making her smile change a bit. The cape that she is wearing has been a daily staple in her wardrobe for the past few weeks. During our TalkTools session last week with Whitney, I told her I […]

June 30, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, BELLE BEETSMACHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, CROSSBITE, DOWN SYNDROME CHILD, DOWN SYNDROME THERAPY, DOWN SYNDROME TODDLERDOWN SYNDROME TODDLERHOOD, FEEDING SKILLS, LANIE BEETSMA, MEALTIME, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, PLAYING DOLLS, PRETEND PLAYSPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME, SPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, TALKTOOLS CLIENTTALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, THREE YEAR OLD, THREE YEAR OLD GIRL, TODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROMETODDLERHOOD, UNDERBITE

Success Story | Cora Rose

Miss Cora Rose, a TalkTools® client since an infant, will be featured in a 60-second Super Bowl commercial tomorrow night! She has been modeling for a shoe company called Livie and Luca under the “Changing the Face of Beauty” movement (pictures below) … And now is featured in a SunTrust commercial “Hold Your Breath” (video below), […]

February 6, 2016 administrator Success Stories Comments (0) Details
Tags: #DOWNSYNDROME, #ONUP, #SPECIALNEEDS, BANK COMMERCIAL, CHANGING THE FACE OF BEAUTY, CHILD ACTING, CHILD MODELINGCHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME, CORA ROSE, DIFFERING ABILITIES, DOWN SYNDROME, DOWN SYNDROME CONNECTION OF THE BAY AREADOWN SYNDROME GIRL, EASTER SEALS, EASTER SEALS OF THE BAY AREA, FEEDING THERAPY, GIRL WITH DOWN SYNDROME, HEATHER PETERSONHEATHER VUKELICH, HOLD YOUR BREATH, LIVIE AND LUCA, SPECIAL NEEDS, SPECIAL NEEDS ACCEPTANCE, SPECIAL NEEDS AWARENESSSPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY, SPECIAL NEEDS INCLUSION, SPECIAL NEEDS WIN, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY, SUCCESS STORIESSUNTRUST, SUNTRUST COMMERCIAL, SUPER BOWL, SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS THERAPISTTALKTOOLS THERAPY