Hello. I am working with a 6 year old boy who shifts his bottom jaw when producing most fricative and sibilant phonemes. According to his dentist he does not have any structural abnormalities. When working with him he is able to keep jaw stable but it is not without effort and he has yet to generalize. I was wondering what tool(s) you would recommend for me to use with him.
Thank you.
Pamela
Hi Pamela,
It sounds to me like you may be dealing with some underlying jaw weakness and instability. If you have not seen the 3 Part Treatment Plan video or read the "Assessment and Treatment of the Jaw" book these would be great references. I would work on using the z-vibe with blue tip, and the Bite Tube Set (red bite tube, yellow bite tube, purple grabber, and green grabber). Jaw stability is the foundation for speech and feeding. If there is any weakness on one side or both sides these tools will help to correct that. Please let us know if you have any other questions or if anything else comes up.
Thanks,
Elizabeth Smithson, MSP, CCC-SLP
Elizabeth Smithson, MSP, CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist who has over 10 years of professional experience working with infants, children, adolescents and adults. She earned her Master of Speech Pathology at the University of South Carolina. Liz is also a Level 5 TalkTools® Trained Therapist. She has received specialized training in Oral Placement Therapy, Speech, Feeding, Apraxia, Sensory Processing Disorders, and PROMPT©. Liz works with clients with a wide range of disabilities including Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She works through her own private practice Elizabeth Smithson Therapy, LLC in the home setting and in the TalkTools® office in Charleston, SC.