Oral Placement Therapy
Oral Placement Therapy for speech targets the movements necessary for standard speech production through a combination of therapy techniques that allows the client to feel the movements as well as hear and see them.
How Does OPT Apply to My Child With Down Syndrome?
Feeding and speech involve fine motor function. These fine motor skills can be developed within the mouth using Oral Placement Therapy.
OPT helps to strengthen the relationship between a patient’s oral sensory system, feeding skills, oral placement skills and speech. This is crucial to develop normal function and should be initiated during infancy for optimum results.
Assessment Goals
The Results of an OPT Assessment Will:
North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat is pleased to be able to offer OPT/ TalkTools Therapy.
Contact NCEENT for further information.
- Identify if the child is on target for oral motor, feeding, and speech development (Traditional therapies are usually for children with typical oral motor skills who have speech disorders)
- Identify areas that are delayed
- Identify compensatory strategies a child may have developed in an effort to “keep up”
- As areas of weakness are identified, additional therapy techniques can be introduced to support the base skills needed for successful feeding and speech.
- Treatment will incorporate a variety of oral motor techniques and will transition placement and movement skills into feeding development and speech skills as early as possible.
North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat is pleased to be able to offer OPT/ TalkTools Therapy.
Contact NCEENT for further information.