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Tag: TONGUE RETRACTION

Understanding Oral Placement Therapy

Understanding Oral Placement Therapy – Complete Guide TalkTools Oral Placement Therapy • Speech Clarity • Feeding Support Multisensory Tactile + Visual + Auditory Hierarchy-Based Understanding Oral Placement Therapy (OPT): Evidence-Based Speech & Feeding Intervention A comprehensive guide to improving speech clarity, feeding skills, and oral motor function through targeted tactile-proprioceptive techniques. Designed for families, clinicians, […]

February 4, 2026 jayne General Comments (0) Details
Tags: CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH, FEEDING THERAPY, JAW STABILITY, LIP ROUNDING, OPT, ORAL MOTOR SKILLS, Oral Placement Therapy, SPEECH THERAPY, tactile cues, TALKTOOLS, TONGUE ELEVATION, TONGUE LATERALIZATION, TONGUE RETRACTION

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

4.8 YEARS: WORKING ON TONGUE PLACEMENT

Here is Belle working on her spoon slurp exercises: And here working on proper tongue placement for sounds /t, d, n, l/ with the help of bite blocks. Belle had a fabulous time at our in-depth session with Monica Mitchell, our TalkTools speech therapist, this month. We worked through our entire oral motor program and assessed Belle’s progress as […]

June 9, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: /D/, /L/, /N/, BITE BLOCKS, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDING THERAPY, MONICA PURDY, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISESORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY, SPOON SLURPS, T, TONGUE PLACEMENT, TONGUE RETRACTION

Success Story: Terrance & Vanessa

Who is ready to hear a therapy success story? Terrance was 26 months old when Vanessa first met him and was unable to drink from a straw. What Vanessa did with this little boy is amazing and truly inspiring. We are so glad TalkTools® was able to provide her with the tools and techniques she […]

December 14, 2015 administrator Success Stories Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANDERSON-SMITH SPEECH THERAPY, BUBBLE BLOWING HIERARCHY, BUBBLE KIT, CHEWING HIERARCHY, CHEWY TUBES, FEEDING THERAPYFEEDING THERAPY ASSESSMENT, HONEY BEAR, HORN 1, HORN HIERARCHY, JAW STABILITY, LIP ROUNDING, OPT, ORAL MOTOR THERAPYORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, ORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY ASSESSMENT, ORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY PLAN, PRE-FEEDING EXERCISESRED CHEWY TUBE, RENEE ROY HILL, SENSORY MOTOR SYSTEM, SPEECH THERAPY ASSESSMENT, SPEECH THERAPY PLANSPEECH THERAPY TREATMENT PLAN, STRAW #3, STRAW HIERARCHY, SUCCESS STORIES, TALKTOOLS TRAINED THERAPIST, TERRANCETHERAPY SUCCESS STORY, TONGUE RETRACTION, VANESSA ANDERSON-SMITH, YELLOW CHEWY TUBE

Ask A Therapist: Proper Tongue Elevation & Retraction

I need advice please! I am seeing a 5 year old child with severe childhood apraxia of speech together with dysarthria (specifically weakness of tongue and lips). So far his lip strength and movement has improved a lot, but I am really struggling with his tongue. He can protrude his tongue beautifully, retraction we are working […]

February 18, 2015 administrator Ask A Therapist Comments (0) Details
Tags: APRAXIA, ASK A THERAPIST, CAS, DYSARTHRIA, OPT, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, Oral Placement Therapy, RENEE ROY HILL, TALKTOOLS THERAPY, TONGUE, TONGUE ELEVATION, TONGUE MOVEMENT, TONGUE RETRACTION, TONGUE THERAPY, TONGUE TIP

13 MONTHS: FIRST TRY AT THE HORN HIERARCHY

At 13 months Belle has grown into having quite the personality. She finds it funny that we keep videoing her. She laughs and tries to follow the camera. We really have to keep up with her while feeding her pureed foods and puffs because she thinks this “camera thing” is quite the novelty.  While she […]

October 30, 2014 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: AIRFLOW, ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDING, FEEDING THERAPY, HORN #1HORN HIERARCHY, HORN KIT, HORN THERAPY, LIP CLOSURE, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, ORAL PLACEMENTORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, ORAL-MOTOR, SPEECH THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME, talk tools, TALKTOOLS, TONGUE RETRACTION

Ask A Therapist: Straws & Tongue Placement

Hi Sara, I have taken your Oral Placement course and you currently have devised a plan regarding this program for my son Cole. I have a question however it is regarding something I am seeing in treatment (I am an OT) when using the straw program. I have a patient who has down syndrome, 6 months ago could […]

August 6, 2014 administrator Ask A Therapist Comments (0) Details
Tags: ASK A THERAPIST, BITE STRAWS, CHEEK CUEING, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDING, FEEDING THERAPY, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, ORAL PLACEMENTORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY, ORAL-MOTOR, SARA ROSENFELD-JOHNSON, SINGLE SIP, STRAW DRINKING, STRAW HIERARCHY, STRAW KITSTRAW PROGRAM, STRAW THERAPY, SUCKLE PATTERN, TONGUE PROTRUSION, TONGUE RETRACTION

11 MONTHS: DOING A WONDERFUL JOB AT DRINKING & EATING

We are so proud! Annabelle is 11 months old and is doing a wonderful job. We really have no cause for concerns because she has taken so well to her therapy. She is typically quite happy when we do the exercises with her. I am continuing to do her oral motor exercises 2-3 times a […]

August 1, 2014 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, DOWN SYNDROME, DRINKING, FEEDING, FEEDING SKILLS, FEEDING THERAPY, MOUTH POSTURE, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, ORAL PLACEMENT, Oral Placement Therapy, ORAL-MOTORSTRAW HIERARCHY, STRAW KIT, talk tools, TALKTOOLS, TONGUE RETRACTION, TONGUE THRUST

11 MONTHS: DOING A WONDERFUL JOB AT DRINKING & EATING

We are so proud! Annabelle is 11 months old and is doing a wonderful job. We really have no cause for concerns because she has taken so well to her therapy. She is typically quite happy when we do the exercises with her. I am continuing to do her oral motor exercises 2-3 times a […]

August 1, 2014 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, DOWN SYNDROME, DRINKING, FEEDING, FEEDING SKILLS, FEEDING THERAPY, MOUTH POSTURE, ORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, ORAL PLACEMENT, Oral Placement Therapy, ORAL-MOTORSTRAW HIERARCHY, STRAW KIT, talk tools, TALKTOOLS, TONGUE RETRACTION, TONGUE THRUST