Hi Vanessa,

I recently participated in your webinar and I thought you would be a good person to ask a therapy question. I'm a TalkTools Level 2 therapist and I'm treating privately and collaborating with another SLP to help her son with a distorted /r/. 

We have finished bite blocks, chewy tubes/grabbers and I feel confident his jaw is stable. We are starting horn #8. He appears good with straw #8 and the straw D. He likes sensory input and we use cool lemon swabs for improved sensing of the back of tongue side spread which we are seeing improvement. Lip and tongue disassociation is our focus. 

I was wondering what the correct cue for lips when we attempt /r/ in isolation? His mom prefers to use the "don't move the lips" or lip retraction without movement when I introduced the "freeze" /ee/ to /r/ technique. In the past that is what I did, but now I feel that slight movement is ok and is needed for him. I'm wondering what position of the lips (protruded or retracted) is best for the mentalis muscle for /r/ production. I'm also wondering the exact role of the mentalis with /r/ production. This is a child again who needs high sensory input. I haven't been successful with finding the answer online.

I appreciate any suggestions.

Thank you for your blogs, webinars and inspiration!

Lesley Larive, M.S., CCC-SLP
Omaha, NE

READ VANESSA'S ANSWER

Hi Ms. Rosenfeld-Johnson,

 

I took your oral placement technique course in New York a few weeks ago. I have a few clients who have difficult with the /r/ and tried out the robot technique. A lot of those same kids also have trouble producing the glottal fry -- do you have any pointers for me?

 

Thanks so much! And thanks for your wealth of knowledge. Your course really changed the way I look at a lot of my kids!!

 

Karen

Hi Karen,

Thank you for your kind words about the class content. I love this therapy and hope to share its benefits with other SLPs who have not had the opportunity to learn the techniques through their schooling. To hear that my work has changed, and I hope, benefited the way you look at your clients is a true gift so I thank you for that.

As to your question.... I have two responses:

1) You can hold a jiggler vibrator next to the child's neck so he/she can feel extra vibration in the laryngeal area. Use the direction of turning on the motor in your throat as you ask the child to say the "ee" sound.

2) You will not need to teach the robot voice if the client can produce the required placement without the voice. It is only used if the client has trouble feeling the "back of tongue side spread" placement against the upper palate. I hope one of these options answers your question.

Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP