Focus

Many times a speech or language disorder is not isolated, meaning the person also has ADHD or Central Auditory Processing or Sensory Integration Disorders or Autism. The symptoms overlap for many of these disorders.

I'm learning that I can know or try many different ideas to help a specific problem, but I won't get anywhere if I can't get the child to focus.

Here are a few ideas I have learned and I would love to learn more so please share if you could:

1. Introduce an auditory signal (simple watch beep, subtle piano note played at different intervals of time), when the person hears this signal he is to redirect his attention by giving eye contact, checking wiggles, turn off voice. This strategy can be helpful for a teenager who uses cell phones. Program an auditory signal as a reminder to focus every fifteeen minutes.
2. Use lists, which gives child visual indication of what needs to be accomplished and a sense of accomplishment in crossing off items
3. When person becomes unfocused, add some movement (also referred to as binaural integration -- use both brain hemispheres):
•  - throw a weighted ball
•  write name in the air with non-dominant hand
• ask child to write the sound a duck makes (or any animal)
4. Jury's still out on this idea but I've recently tried giving person a little "stress" ball that can be squeezed during the session. I'm hoping this takes away from obsessive tendencies.
5. Whisper Instruction
6. Slow rate of speech

That's all for now. Thanks for reading,

Colette

Swallowing

Have you ever thought about how to actually swallow?

Try describing the process of swallowing to someone else.

Do you know of anyone with a "lisp" or "tongue thrust"? What about thumb suckers? If you aren't able to swallow pills without aid (meaning throwing your head back), you might be who I am talking about.

Try this:

1. Make a seal with your tongue and the top of your mouth (behind your front teeth, your tongue shouldn't even touch the back of your front teeth)
2. (not a requirement, but could help in describing) Now put your teeth together, smile big (the lips actually help elicit the swallow -- try doing this two different ways 1-with lips touching each other and  the other 2 - with an open-lip smile)
3. See if you can elicit a true swallow without moving the tip of your tongue

There are reflexesdo the work. The main process is actually involuntary (peristalsis).

So, what is the big deal with tongue thrusting and people with lisps? When they are little, they are given braces to help the teeth grow in place instead of jutting out (which is what an incorrect swallow pattern is doing to your teeth). What do you think of dentists/orthodontists recommending braces before considering an alternative treatment plan of correcting the swallow pattern? You wouldn't believe before/after pictures of somone who specializes in swallowing therapy: Orofacial Myologist. Of course there are many factors that precede the need for braces, I'm just throwing this out there as a possible way of saving thousands of dollars.

Since I have given birth to my own little tongue thruster, I could see at a very early age she was doing some seriously strange tongue action when speaking. During mealtime, she was my messiest eater with crumbs all around her chair. How thankful I am to have found a very good Orofacial Myologist who stopped my daughter from thumb sucking in mere weeks. The before/after pictures were HUGE motivators and the effects of ceasing thumb sucking (actual tooth movement) could be seen in a matter of months.

Just something to chew on for a little while ;-)

Check my friend Nancy out at: http://myofunctional.com/internal/approch.html