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Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) by TalkTools

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    Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) by TalkTools

    Millions of people around the globe suffer from speech impairment. This acts as a physiological hindrance to them and impacts them heavily from a psychological standpoint. It is imperative that if you are someone who is suffering from speech impairment that you seek help because it is now possible more than ever to treat speech impairment successfully.

    Year after year, new researches are bringing before us new advancements in the medical field that are created to tackle the challenges of speech impairment. One such form of treatment is that of Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) by TalkTools.

    It is a type of speech therapy that encompasses a three-part program – auditory stimulation, visual stimulation, and tactile stimulation to your mouth to help improve the clarity of your speech.

    Possible Causes

    In most cases, what causes speech impairment is unknown. Some of the known causes are cleft palate, hearing problems, problems with teeth, autisms, neurological issues. Abuse of any kind can also lead to speech-related issues.

    Risk Factors

    Some of the risk factors associated with speech impairment are:

    • Congenital abnormality
    • Maternal age more than 35 years
    • Heredity
    • Consumption of alcohol, drugs by mother during pregnancy
    • Exposure to violence

    Signs and Symptoms

    Depending on the cause of the speech disorders, the symptoms may vary. Common symptoms are:

    • Stutter
    • Repeating sounds
    • Elongating words
    • Jerking movements while talking
    • Distorting sounds while speaking

    Diagnosis

    The most commonly used diagnostic tool for articulation disorder is the Denver articulation screening examination (DASE). The test is conducted on children between the ages of 2 and 7. The five-minute test evaluates the clarity in pronunciation through various exercises to assess the child’s speech.

    Treatment Options at 7DMC

    It should be noted that OPT is a part of a comprehensive language and speech program, and you should not undergo it in isolation. The activities that are part of this program have been meticulously curated to stimulate the movement used in targeted speech production.

    OPT combines a tactile-proprioceptive teaching technique with traditional speech therapy to treat clients suffering from movement and placement deficits. Since speech in itself is a tactile-proprioceptive action; therefore this technique acts as an extremely beneficial tool for people with sensory and/or motor impairments.

    The objective of OPT is to improve your stability, muscle memory, the direction of movement, grading, dissociation, and articulator awareness.

    It serves as the base foundation for TalkTools training. Focused on a goal-oriented and results-driven path for both clients and speech therapists irrespective of their diagnosis and age, TalkTools training is a measurable sign that incorporates a hierarchical and unique approach to OPT.

    The OPT course by TalkTools is an extremely interactive and hands-on material that involves numerous motivating activities. These activities are aimed at targeting your jaws, lips, tongue, and abdomen. You can implement the techniques of this course in different therapy environments – be it schools, hospitals, homes, or private practices.

    You need to be under the supervision of trained medical professionals who have years and years of experience in speech therapy. 7DMC is home to some of the most skilled speech therapists in the world who are certified to carry out programs like this with perfection.

    So, to avail the maximum benefits out of the program, you must consult with the reputed speech and language therapy clinic of 7DMC and accordingly go ahead with the direction your doctor gives.

    FAQs

    Frequently asked questions

    OPT is designed to instruct and teach oral structural placement to people who have difficulty in imitating or producing speech sounds using visual or auditory input. The session can be completed in 15 minutes. From a sensory processing perspective, the therapy is applied to help clients refocus their concentration and attention.

    No matter what type of speech disorder you are suffering from – fluency disorder, apraxia of speech voice disorder, post CVA, dysarthria, or hearing loss – this program can be added to any speech program plan to accelerate the process of healing. In addition, it can be used by people irrespective of their ability levels and age.

    Speech therapists are trained professionals who have the experience and qualifications to help people with speech-related issues. Below are the functions performed by speech therapist:

    • Interact through talking and playing.
    • Using tools such as books, pictures, and other objects to encourage speaking.
    • Model correct sounds and syllables.
    • Using age-appropriate play to teach.
    • Provide input and homework for the child, parent, or caregivers to continue learning at home.

    Speech therapy for adults has also proven to be beneficial. Speech therapy exercises for adults can help with speech, language, and cognitive-communication. Therapy also helps retain swallowing functions deteriorated because of medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, oral cancer, etc.

    Speech therapy exercises for adults:

    • Problems solving, organization, memory, and activities that improve cognitive-communication.
    • Breathing exercises
    • Exercises for building oral muscles strengthen.
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