This approach is an American approach by Sara Rosenfield- Johnson. It believes in assimilating the experiences used through oral -motor exercises and feeding to develop speech sound patterns and good oral motor skills.
We have been achieving outstanding results with this method of therapy for a range of children including those with Down's Syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
The straw hierarchy has been offering a fantastic solution to working on tongue retraction for early feeding skills and to then promote speech sound development.
Some of our young people with Autism have been successful in drinking with straws for the first time in 14 years!
They have also reduced the amount of 'drooling' previously experienced.
For children with
We have found the bubble hierarchy to be successful with children and teenagers who haven’t been able to blow bubbles prior to this approach. Moving through the hierarchy, popping the bubble on their lips, blowing the bubble off the wand, blowing a bubble through the wand and slowly learning to blow for a sustained distance. Bubble blowing is a fantastic activity to promote tongue retraction, lip rounding and jaw stability.
The horn hierarchy has proved an excellent sensory integration activity, increasing children's sustained blowing skills. This is helping to build up postural control and core strength and is having a positive effect on calming and focussing their attention. The horns are aiding speech sound development and are so motivating to the child.
We have used further approaches within Talk Tools, such as the jaw graders, the button pull exercises. chewy chews and many more. All of the activities are really appealing to the young people we work with and do not feel like work in the slightest. Therapy homework has become easier for parents who have found more traditional homework harder to achieve.
www.talktools.net/s.nl/it.I/id.3/.f
As a therapy team, we shall now be including this approach in our therapy to children and adolescents, as well as older clients. Adult's recovering from Strokes and acquired injuries have also seen significant benefits from this approach.
Other useful sites, which contains articles about this therapy approach are;
Sarah Needham
