This introductory course to OPT (Oral Placement Therapy)™ is the foundation for TalkTools training and is integrated throughout many of our courses. OPT is a type of oral-motor therapy that targets specific movements needed for speech and feeding. This therapy has been found to be particularly effective for clients who are not responding to traditional therapy and may need additional input.

The "sensory" part is what sets this approach apart from traditional therapies. OPT combines the senses traditional speech therapy relies on — auditory and visual — with tactile, proprioceptive, and interoceptive sensory systems.

TalkTools® training applies a unique, hierarchical approach where activities and goals build upon each other, resulting in a measurable, results-driven path for therapists and clients across all ages and diagnoses with the goal of:

This interactive, hands-on course includes highly motivating activities that concentrate on the whole child: the orofacial region (jaw, lips, and tongue), the sensory system, posture, abdominal strength, tone, seating, and fascia. Techniques learned can be readily implemented across many therapy environments — private practices, hospitals, schools, and home.

• Appropriately assess oral placement, feeding, and speech problems based on muscle systems.
• Integrate hierarchies for motor dissociation and grading (jaw–lips–tongue).
• Plan programs of therapeutic intervention to address physiological and motor-based speech disorders.
• Apply at least 10 new therapy techniques immediately in practice.
• Properly use oral placement techniques to improve individual speech clarity and production.

3-Part Treatment Plan for OPT™ — together with OPT™: Assessment and Program Plan Development — comprise Level 1 training.

Learn more about TalkTools' exclusive Level Training program, and discover how TalkTools OPT techniques, tools, and training have impacted lives.