12 year old tongue thrust /s/ interferes with goals
I have a question for you about a new student I am working with. He is a 12 year old boy, who was referred for a tongue thrust. He produced most /s, z/ sounds interdentally. He has made significant progress with his placement from working with a previous therapist. However, he continues to have a bit of a noisy /s/. While not that significant for most students, this particular guy’s dream is to be a sports broadcaster when he grows up! His father came in to see me last week and reported that the dentist says he has a tongue thrust. As a result he is impacting saliva by his molars. His father asked if I could work on this. I told him I would try! I wanted to ask you to share your thoughts. I would greatly appreciate it. This child does have a significant history of allergies – he does not snore, and has no other articulation or placement errors. His cognitive ability is high, and he is motivated to succeed. Did I leave anything out? I look forward to your response! Thanks so much!
How long has he been in braces? Did he once have a high or narrow palate? The term “tongue thrust” is not necessarily specific enough for me to visualize the problem. Do you know what the DDS was referring to as tongue thrusting? Did you do a real thorough eval? I’m not sure what your specific question is. Was his resting tongue posture forward? Down? Against, between dentition? Are his tonsils ok? Adenoids? History of a sucking habit? It sounds like he is a classic case unless I’m missing some important information. I’d go into maximizing him for the Proficiency test #1 of the Myo Manual program; begin tx for /s/ thereafter; work on the suctioning sections of the program and take if from there. If you found several areas upon testing where he is having ‘typical” myo problems such as bolus control/collection; eating; drinking; resting tongue posture, etc., then he’ll likely have to complete the Myo Manual Treatment Program in full through Phase 3. I hope I addressed some of your concerns. If I misunderstood what you are asking, please let me know….
