SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
CALL US: 954 461 1114
  • LOGIN

Orofacial Myology

  • No products in cart.
  • HOME
  • Myo Training
  • Myo Products
  • Qualification (QOM)
  • Myo Resources
    • Q&A
    • Orofacial Myology News
    • Myo Articles & Papers
    • Myo Media
    • Professional Information
  • Myo Therapists
  • About Us
    • Sandra R. Holtzman
    • Becky Ellsworth
    • Karen Wuertz
    • Zohara Nguyen
    • Carma Stump
    • Mackenzi Coker
    • Greta Vigil

High narrow palate and articulation

Thursday, 07 July 2011 / Published in Dental Hygienist, Parents, Therapists, Uncategorized

High narrow palate and articulation

Hi Sandra, I have just begun working with a little boy (Kindergarten) whose intelligibility is approx 70%. Poor sh, ch, j, r, lateral s. We have been working on the Basic Lingual Training exercises and while he is having difficulty (skinny-fat, tip elevation, side sweeping), he IS making progress. **He has a very high, narrow, vaulted palate.  Even if he does progress with his tongue toning and ROM, will he continue to have difficulties with these sounds due to his oral structure–and the resonance?I want to be very clear with family and child (and myself) about our expectations. Would love your input! Thank you so much, L

Hi L, The important questions are the following, as I see it: 

  • How well does the tongue fit within the palate when he suctions? 
  • CAN he suction it or at least briefly click so you can see how well it is accommodated inside the palate?
  • What resonance issue are you referring to?  Do he sound hypernasal right now?

Here are my thoughts:  If you see that the tongue can fit well inside the palate even though it is high and narrow (which I doubt that it can, by your description, by the way)….then you have a fighting chance to help his articulation.  The SH, CH, DJ, and ZH will require that he brace the lateral borders of his tongue within the arch with some stability; thus, the importance of the accommodation.    The /s/ will need the same and additionally you have to note if he is a moderate or severe Class II or Class III occlusion, and taking that into consideration as well…can he comfortably occlude in order to get a strong enough suction to produce the CH, SH, etc.?      With /r/, of course the palatal shape/height, and width is important.  And you know how I consider ruling out any factors related to the lingual frenum attachment on the floor of the mouth ( or far anterior?), on the tongue itself, the flexibility of it, the length, and if the mandible is forced to shift unnaturally to produce sounds because of the lingual frenulum location/composition/other characteristics.      Also, remember that if you can obtain and get him to maintain a pure ER over and over again, you probably can go ahead and do /r/, regardless of his age.       If he is a decent worker, if parents are compliant with home assignments, I’d continue with the Prof. #1 work, introduce the suctioning exercises as able (Knotty Straw, Diagonal straw…only when he gets the posterior release pretty well); and I’d probably let him start playing around with the Elevator Disks, taking a while if needed but at least getting the coordination improved with that exercise.  

Tagged under: articulation, hypernasal sound, lingual frenum attachment, myofunctional therapy, narrow palate, orofacial myology, resonance issue, restricted lingual frenula, severe Class II occlusion, severe Class III occlusion, speech language pathologist

What you can read next

Pastor won’t talk in front of church
Little girl who got her tonsils out unable to say “H”
R therapy help needed

Search

Archives

  • August 2023
  • April 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • May 2021
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
TOP