Hi TalkTools,
I have a few questions for the staff SLP. I watched the "3 Part OPT" videos and I can see how it generally walks me through the eval process but the language doesn't seem clear to me on the Assessment Form. Did I miss something?
It is my first time doing an eval. Here are my questions regarding how to do the eval:
1. For "Jaw Grading Bite Blocks", do I use ALL of the in the A, B, and C positions? Or just some or the last one?
2. for "Tongue Tip Lateralization", what does this look like? Do I start with asking them to swipe the inside of their mouth left to right 10 times and if they can't then use the tool? What do I ask the client to do?
3. For "Tongue Tip Elevation " I don't understand the criteria of 50 seconds, 1 time. What does this mean?... hold the tongue tip at alveolar ridge for 50 secs? What do I ask the client to do?
4. "TT Depression"- Where does the tongue go? What do I ask the client to do?
5. Same for "TT Up and Down" - where does the tongue go? What do I ask the client to do?
Sincerely,
Carrie
Hi Carrie,
Great question! The Oral Motor Skills for Feeding and Speech Checklist is not intended to “teach” you each section of the form but a place for you to write results, guide you through an assessment and then provide the information you would need to then develop a program plan for therapy. The form assumes you know each technique, or, have the resources to find the protocol for each exercise. The criteria for success listed is a reminder of what the final goal is to complete that activity or step (this is the part that so many, to include myself have difficulty remembering when you are new to using the protocols). You may want to consider looking into our next course, “Assessment and Program Plan Development” that would follow the 3 Part Treatment Plan. In this course we use this form for several different evaluations to help you become familiar with its use! I will answer your individual questions below, directing you to where the complete instructions for each of them are! If you have further trouble don’t hesitate to email me!
1. Each Bite Block Height would be assessed at each level. For example, you would not move from Bite Block #2 Exercise A to Bite Block #2 Exercise B unless they have met the criteria for Exercise A and so on. These instructions can be found in the books “OPT for Speech Clarity and Feeding” “Assessment and Treatment of the Jaw” and included with the set of Bite Blocks.
2. There is a specific exercise outlined in “OPT for Speech Clarity and Feeding” using a Bite Block and complete instructions with the Tongue Tip Lateralization Tool. There are many steps to this activity to teach the client to lateralize the tongue tip to the lower back molar.
3. Yes, the final goal is that the client can hold the tongue tip to the alevolar ridge for a full 50 seconds, 1X. You will notice that in therapeutic practice we often request multiple repetitions of practice but it is not always the criteria for success.
4. This is another activity that is in “OPT for Speech Clarity and Feeding” or included in the instructions with the Tongue Tip Elevation Tool.
5. The tongue tip will go to the same two locations previously practiced individually. These instructions are also in “OPT for Speech Clarity and Feeding” followed by a transition technique to teaching the /s/ sound once you have completed this activity!