My 2 year old (almost 3 year old) daughter with Down Syndrome is still having difficulty with speech. She has many signs, but her words are limited to ones such as "ball" and "book." I have asked her speech therapist about the Straw Kit. Her therapist does not seem to be in favor of anything other than traditional speech therapy. Does the straw kit help accelerate speech?

Also, her OT would like her to drink out of a cup. Which cup would be best, or is it best to continue with straws for now? Thank you!

Ana

Hi Ana,

Sorry to hear that your daughter is having difficulty with speech. I do believe that the straw kit is something worth pursuing.  I often work with children with another therapist in a situation like this.  One can work on traditional speech techniques and the other oral placement for speech production and feeding.  That might be something to think about.  The straws work on different levels of tongue retraction and lip rounding which are both movements used in speech production. I do find with my patients that speech comes faster with oral placement therapy.  As far as a cup I would recommend starting with the pink cut out cup.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.  We are always here to help.

Thanks,

Liz Smithson

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.

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

I am a speech and language therapist working in the UK. I had the TalkTools training a couple of years back.I assessed a child last week taking over from another therapist who has just left. This child was advised to drink thick and thin fluids from a thick straw (McDonald's thickness). The child can drink thin fluids easily from straw #7 but has not had any success with straw #8. I observed the child with the thick fluid from a thick straw and they managed really well. When drinking from a cup with no straw there was still notable tongue protrusion. I am not quite sure where to move this child on? Should we move to straw #8 (thin fluids) and continue with thick fluids from a thicker straw? Should you be continuing on the straw hierarchy until there is efficient tongue retraction when drinking from an open cup? I would appreciate some guidance.

 

Best wishes,

 

Melissa

Hi Melissa, 

I would continue on the next straw if she is drinking at ease with tongue retraction as you said. I would want to use the straws for all drinking attempts and minimize the use of the cup. I would work on activities that promote tongue retraction before working on the cup. This will reinforce the motor plan.  I would then make sure to place the cup under her tongue and prevent her from using her tongue as her lower lip.  If this is not working you may want to remove the cup for a short time and work only with the straw and then revisit the cup.  Giving the child a break and only reinforcing the tongue retraction may help.

It is possible for a child to continue demonstrating tongue protrusion with cup drinking after the straw protocol but I would consider that atypical.

Keep me posted and let me know if you have any other questions.

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.

Hi Kellie,

It sounds like you have done a great job explaining the straws and how to use them to this mom. The only other idea I have would be to encourage her to put the straw in the large TalkTools cup with lid and have the curly part of the straw under the lid. That sometimes helps if it is tipping or they are playing with it. I just try to explain that the straw is working on tongue retraction in the mouth at different levels. It is important that they are that particular length because that is what makes them more difficult and requires more work for the tongue and lips.

As far as the insurance billing, I personally do not bill insurance but there is a CD called "OPT Goals & Objectives for IEPs and Insurance Reimbursement" that will help with goals and objectives for insurance reimbursement and IEPs. It does not include coding but it should help with what you are talking about. It sounded like it was more of what you were looking for than the CD you mentioned.

Good luck with the mom you are working with and please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,

Liz

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.