TalkTools | Oral Placement Therapy (OPT)

TalkTools founder Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson discusses the importance of Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) and how it can be used effectively to improve speech clarity and feeding. The Three-Part Treatment Plan for Oral Placement Therapy course can be taken either as a live workshop, on-demand course, or via DVD. More information about these therapy techniques and course registration is available at www.talktools.com.

[@cathysalciccia7812]

Sarah and I were trained by the same professor, Ed Mysak, from Columbia University. Much of her theory and practice is based upon principles taught including the concept of tactile proprioceptive feedback, auditory feedback, infantile reflexology, associative movement patterns and isolation movements. Her oral sensory processing techniques , assessment of the impact of hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity and jaw stabilization, have everything to do with speech and feeding. Her techniques have been facilitating decreased lingual protrusion of Down's syndrome children. Introduction of her sensory and motor programs early in life have resulted in astounding outcomes where Down's Syndrome children no longer have to be plagued by a tongue sticking out of their mouth. Regardless of " the research" it is clear that the phonologists ( as per Dr. Ron Baken, Speech Scientist from Columbia) would have you believe that speech sounds are generated from the head outward and have nothing to do with the neuro, oral motor development system. The issue is being able to accurately assess your client, determine what is contributing to their spitting food out of their mouth, not transferring food posterior , loss of food and fluid through inadequatelip seal, not unlike what we experience with adult neurological clients. Why exactly would anyone assume that these issues are not transferrable to the developmental population? Regardless of whether or not they have a "dysarthria" per se, as in the CP population, if the oral motor system has not matured to the degree that it can regulate sensory input, isolate, tongue, lip and jaw , the outcome of tongue tip production sounds, low lying frontal tongue , etc become highly relevant. I have used her products, suscribe to her system 100 percent and have had outcomes. Thank you Sarah for operationalizing the theory that we were taught by Ed Mysak who we hold so dear in our memories.

[@cherylsolow4575]

I saw Sarah when she was just Sarah Rosenfeld! She was wonderful then and I would love to see her present again!

[@lillieconnor5348]

how do i get/buy the 12 hour videos

[@ashokbagam]

Madam, Please let me know how to avail the 12hrs Video course.

[@TalkTools]

Hi! Thanks for reaching out. You can check it out here: talktools.com/collections/opt-self-study-on-demand/products/3-part-treatment-plan-for-opt.

[@nishal6638]

How do we get online classes

[@TalkTools]

Hi! Thanks for reaching out. You can check our online courses here: talktools.com/collections/training-schedule/. Thanks!

[@jillianbo9350]

Buyers beware! Non speech oral motor exercise like these (biting, blowing, chewing, etc.) have been proven by research for YEARS to have nothing to do with speech production. Speech requires range of motion and coordination, but VERY little strength. If it did require strength, simply biting would not increase intensity load in any way related to strength training (think: for arms you use a 10 lb weight, then you get stronger so you up it to 15, to 20, etc. With biting/chewing nonspeech motions there’s NO strength training involved. Even if strength were required for speech (which it isn’t), these exercises would still not be appropriate. Plus, using these muscles used for speech are controlled differently than using them for blowing, kissing, biting, etc. Modeling actually has been proven to be extremely effective. To subscribers - do your research, careful with your money!