The Invention of Speech Buddies Tools

The Invention of Speech Buddies Tools

by Adrienne P. News Parents' Corner R Sound Speech Disorders Speech Impediment Speech Therapy Techniques

People often ask us how we decided to invent Speech Buddies tools. We thought you might be interested in this video from CBS SmartPlanet that was put together on Speech Buddies called “Medical device takes the guess work out of speech therapy.” It shows part of our design and development process and details how Speech Buddies tools have been incorporated into a speech therapy regimen to reduce overall treatment time. Particularly for that stubborn R sound! Take a look and let us know what you think.

https://youtu.be/ZMfRkk-j9Rg

 

When to Start Tongue Thrust Treatment?

When to Start Tongue Thrust Treatment?

by Gordy Rogers, M.S. CCC-SLP Speech Impediment Speech Therapy Techniques

The phenomenon of tongue thrust is a rather murky one. As the name implies, tongue thrust is observed when the tongue protrudes through the child’s front teeth and is mostly caused by an imbalance in the oral muscles. However, there are other causes that I will address below. Our “What is Tongue Thrust?” Speech Buddies blog post is a great place to start for understanding the basics of tongue thrust. Among speech pathologists, there exists some controversy as to its impact on speech. Some therapists insist that any open-mouth posture, including tongue thrust, is an extremely significant clinical matter and that it will have a wide-ranging on a child’s speech development and even social development. Others will contend that a true tongue thrust that can impact speech clarity is quite rare and that, in fact, almost all children exhibit some form of tongue thrust which most will grow out of; the vast majority of these children will exhibit no speech challenge whatsoever. So what is the “truth” of the matter? Like many things, it can be somewhat nuanced. This blog post is dedicated to providing some actionable advice to parents as well as some tips for either intervening to correct a tongue thrust or “watchful waiting” so that in the event that tongue thrust treatment needs to be addressed, you will be maximally empowered, as a parent, to do so.

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What to Expect: First Speech Therapy Lesson

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development News Parents' Corner Pronunciation & Lisps School Speech delay Speech Disorders Speech Impediment Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques
Speech Therapy for Speech Impediment

What to Expect: First Speech Therapy Visit for a Speech Impediment

Your child has been diagnosed with a speech impediment or speech disorder.  Whether she suffers from the common types of speech impediments such as stuttering, apraxia of speech, a speech sound disorder, cluttering or a lisp, early speech therapy intervention is crucial to successful treatment. But what happens in your first speech therapy visit? What can you expect? Here is a brief run-down of your first visit with a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Planning ahead and being prepared will help you make the most out of your first visit with a speech pathologist and set you on a successful course of speech therapy treatment.

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Four Questions To Help Identify a Speech Impediment

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development Parents' Corner Speech Disorders Speech Impediment Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Speech Impediment

How Important Are Communication Milestones in Diagnosing Speech Impediment?

Are you concerned that there may be something wrong with your toddler’s communication and language skills? Is it possible that your child may have a speech impediment or disorder? Of course you don’t expect him to speak clearly in the first few months or even years of life, but are you seeing signs that perhaps something is just not quite right? Has your child’s daycare or preschool teacher mentioned that he isn’t reaching typical communication milestones? How important are these milestones? Maybe you’ve heard that it is “just a phase” or that your child will “catch up” with the other kids her age. While every child learns at his or her own pace, it’s important to ask for help if you feel like her language development skills may not be normal. Communication Milestones are actually crucial stages during the first three years of life when the brain is developing and maturing, and is the most intensive period for acquiring speech and language skills. If the critical periods or milestones are are not met in a timely manner, it will be more difficult for your child to learn to properly communicate in the future.

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