Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) is a sensory-motor approach to speech and feeding treatment that addresses placement, stability, and movement of the articulators. Speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists across the world have used TalkTools®-developed OPT frameworks for decades. The question clinicians frequently ask is: what does it take to become truly proficient, and how does a therapist earn recognized specialist status?
That is exactly what the TalkTools Levels OPT™ Specialist Training is designed to answer. This post walks through every level of the program, what each one requires, who teaches it, and what you need to know before enrolling.
What Is Oral Placement Therapy?
Oral Placement Therapy is a clinical approach that uses tactile-proprioceptive input to develop the jaw, lip, and tongue movements necessary for clear speech and functional feeding. OPT is grounded in the understanding that some clients require direct placement cues to establish the sensory-motor patterns that typical speakers develop without instruction.
The TalkTools® approach to OPT was developed by Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson and has been refined over several decades of clinical application. Therapists working with clients across a wide range of diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, and complex feeding disorders have incorporated OPT techniques as part of comprehensive treatment plans. The OPT Book and the OPT Kit remain central references for clinicians beginning this work.
For therapists who want to go further than introductory OPT coursework, the Levels program provides a structured path toward recognized expertise.
The TalkTools Levels OPT™ Specialist Training: Program Overview
The Levels OPT™ Specialist Training is a four-level continuing education pathway. Each level builds on the previous one, combining self-study courses, applied clinical practice, specialty coursework, and ultimately a multi-day intensive workshop. Upon completing Level 3, a clinician receives an OPT™ Specialist Certificate and is officially recognized by TalkTools® as a Certified OPT™ Specialist.
All four levels are available through the TalkTools Levels program page for direct enrollment. There is no waiting period and no gatekeeping. Clinicians can purchase their Level 1 course and begin immediately.
Level 1: Building the Foundation
Level 1 is the entry point to the Levels pathway. It requires completing two foundational courses: the OPT Assessment and Program Plan Development course and a course covering the 3-Part Treatment Plan for OPT™. Both are available as self-study options or through live and virtual streaming formats.
After completing both courses, candidates apply OPT™ techniques with clients for a minimum of three months before progressing. This applied practice requirement is deliberate. Clinical competence in OPT develops through repetition with real clients, and the program is designed to reflect that reality rather than treat coursework completion as the endpoint.
Level 1 certificates are valid for three years. Clinicians who completed Level 1 coursework more than three years ago will need to confirm certificate validity before purchasing Level 3.
Level 2: Specialty Coursework and Deeper Application
Level 2 broadens the OPT™ foundation by requiring one qualifying specialty course of 12 hours in a relevant clinical area, plus at least three additional TalkTools® training hours. By the time a clinician completes Level 2, they will have accumulated six months of cumulative applied practice across both levels.
Qualifying specialty courses cover clinical areas that intersect directly with OPT™ practice. Current qualifying options include courses in feeding therapy, sensory processing, motor speech, and orofacial myology. The full list includes Navigating the Feeding Journey (Feeding Therapy: A Sensory Motor Approach), The Kaleidoscope Model™ for Feeding, The Superpowers of the Sensory System, Childhood Apraxia of Speech or the Motor Speech Master Series, MYOTools 101™ and MYOTools 102, Best Practices in Feeding, Speech and Mouth Function™, and Taking Your Client with ASD from Non-Vocal to Verbal. All specialty courses are available through the TalkTools® self-study course library.
The flexibility at Level 2 allows therapists to deepen their training in the specialty area most relevant to their caseload, whether that is feeding and swallowing, sensory-motor integration, or pediatric feeding and swallowing intervention.
Level 3: The Certification Milestone
Level 3 is the point at which a clinician becomes an officially recognized TalkTools® Certified OPT™ Specialist. This level requires that Levels 1 and 2 requirements are fully met, and it centers on a multi-day intensive workshop with a small, intentionally capped cohort.
The workshop format is structured and collaborative. Before attending, candidates complete a pre-workshop self-study module that prepares them for advanced case work. During the workshop, the Levels Instructor provides case studies and guides the cohort through clinical reasoning, OPT™ evaluation strategies, and treatment planning decisions. The small cohort size is a deliberate design choice: it allows every participant to engage actively rather than observe from a distance.
Upon completing Level 3, clinicians receive an OPT™ Specialist Certificate, a Specialist Badge, and access to the Global Therapist Network, a worldwide community of OPT™ Specialists who collaborate and consult on complex cases. Mentoring touchpoints with the TalkTools® Teaching Team continue after the workshop.
Level 3 workshops are offered as virtual Zoom cohorts or in-person events. Seats are limited. Clinicians purchase their Level 3 course directly through the Level 3 training schedule, and available cohort dates are confirmed after enrollment.
“The Level 3 intensive alone paid for the entire program. In 48 hours, I walked away with a completely new framework for complex feeding cases, critical thinking skills I was missing, and a network of specialists I now collaborate with regularly.”
Dr. David K., Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Level 4 Advanced SpecialistLevel 4: Advanced Specialist Recognition
Level 4 is available exclusively to Level 3 Certified OPT™ Specialists who have two or more years of applied clinical experience with OPT™ following their Level 3 certification. It represents the senior tier of the Levels pathway.
The Level 4 workshop follows the same small cohort format as Level 3, but with a meaningful structural shift: rather than working through instructor-provided cases, Level 4 participants bring their own complex cases for group discussion. The cohort reasons through those cases together, guided by the Levels Instructor. This format reflects the kind of peer consultation that experienced clinicians benefit from most.
Level 4 graduates receive an Advanced Specialist Certificate and a Senior Badge. They are recognized within the Global Therapist Network as senior-level specialists and continue to have access to mentoring touchpoints. The Level 4 course schedule lists current available dates.
The Teaching Team
The Levels program is taught by active clinicians who are also experienced TalkTools® educators. The core teaching team includes Vanessa Anderson-Smith (MA, CCC-SLP, COM®), a clinical educator with experience in sensory integration, childhood apraxia, reflex integration, and orofacial myology; Rehab Zaytoun (M.D., BSc, MSc), a medical doctor specializing in phoniatrics and feeding disorders with international OPT™ experience; Monica Purdy (MA, CCC-SLP, COM®), a pediatric clinician and certified orofacial myologist; Renee Roy Hill (MS, CCC-SLP, COM®, CLC), whose clinical focus spans oral placement, feeding, and motor speech assessment; and Tamara Ciciliani, an international TalkTools® clinician supporting OPT™ training across clinical settings.
Having active clinicians lead the program means candidates receive instruction grounded in current caseload realities, not theory in isolation.
Who Can Enroll
The Levels program is designed for the full speech and feeding therapy team. It welcomes Speech-Language Pathologists (CCC-SLP), Occupational Therapists (OTR/L), Behavioral Therapists and BCBAs, Lactation Counselors (CLC/IBCLC), Orofacial Myologists (COM), Feeding Therapists, Dieticians and Nutritionists, Swallowing and Dysphagia Specialists, and Pediatric Educators. The breadth of professional backgrounds reflects the multidisciplinary nature of OPT™ clinical work.
Any clinician interested in expanding their OPT™ knowledge can enroll directly in Level 1 and begin immediately. For clinicians who have already completed earlier coursework, it is worth reviewing the current requirements for each level before purchasing. Contact TalkTools® customer care to confirm eligibility if prior coursework predates the three-year certificate window.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TalkTools Levels OPT™ Specialist Training?
Who can enroll in the TalkTools Levels program?
Does completing Level 1 and Level 2 make you a Certified OPT™ Specialist?
What happens at the Level 3 intensive workshop?
What specialty courses qualify for Level 2 of the Levels OPT™ program?
How long does it take to complete all four levels of the Levels OPT™ program?
Can the TalkTools Levels program be completed entirely online?
Ready to Start?
The TalkTools Levels OPT™ Specialist Training gives clinicians a clear, supported path toward recognized expertise in Oral Placement Therapy. Whether you are completing foundational coursework for the first time or building toward Level 3 certification, the program is structured so that each step directly prepares you for the next.
Browse the full TalkTools® Continuing Education catalog to find your current level, or visit the Levels OPT™ program page to review all four level requirements and secure your enrollment. If you are looking for a TalkTools®-trained therapist in your area, the TalkTools® Therapist Locator lists certified specialists by location. And if you have questions about which level fits where you are right now, the TalkTools® team is available to help.