Oral Placement Therapy At Georgetown Early Intervention Center

Oral placement therapy is a combination of auditory, visual, and tactile stimulation to the mouth to improve speech clarity and feeding skills. It is a tactile-proprioceptive teaching technique that accompanies traditional therapy.

Traditional therapy is primarily auditory and visual.

OPT improves articulatory awareness, placement, stability, and muscle memory. OPT teaches oral structural placement to a person who cannot produce or imitate speech sounds using traditional techniques. Initially, the assessment is done by a Talk Tools-trained therapist who examines the placement, and motor and sensory difficulties. Then the hierarchy of activities are planned and implemented by the Talk tools therapist and the parents are advised to continue with home training for the same to target placement, and motor or sensory difficulties based on the treatment plan. This is done in a hierarchical and structured way.

These are some of the tools that are used for oral placement therapy.

Chewy tubes: T-shaped chewy tubes are therapy tools designed to promote jaw strength. Closed-loop chewy tubes are a safe alternative to inappropriate items that are chewed for sensory input
Z vibe: Z vibe is a vibratory oral motor tool that can help build oral tone and improve speech, feeding, and sensory skills.
Horns: Horn hierarchy improves lip closure, abdominal grading, and articulation. It can also be used to reduce drooling.
Jaw grading bite blocks: Bite blocks promote symmetrical jaw strength, stability, and grading for speech production and feeding
Straws: Straw drinking hierarchy improves tongue retraction, lip rounding, and controlled tongue movements.
Honey Bear: It teaches lip rounding, tongue retraction, and other oral motor skills. It encourages children to learn straw drinking.
Vibrating and Toothiettes: Tool for diagnosing sensory-motor deficits and promoting awareness of the oral cavity.
Tongue tip lateralization tools: Teaches tongue tip lateralization, elevation, and depression.
Sensory bean bags: They can be used with children with hyposensitivity, hypersensitivity to touch or texture on the face.

Oral Placement Therapy helps in achieving clarity and feeding skills in children and individuals. It plays a vital role in improving articulatory awareness, placement, and muscle memory. OPT can be used in combination with traditional speech therapy techniques, especially when techniques such as “look, listen and do as I say” do not give us the expected results.

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