Pastor won’t talk in front of church

Hi, i am 20 years old and have a tongue thrust. I have problems speaking at times, like a slight lisp, or it feels like my tongue is heavy and gets tied up. i was on your website and i would like to know if you have the tongue thrust therapy available to purchase on line, and if you do how much does it cost?

I am going to Pittsburgh tomorrow to train other therapists from around the country and Canada about this specialty area. Where do you live?  I’ll check if any of my past attendees lives near your or any other specialist I might be aware of. Are all of your sounds failrly imprecise?  Are the S and Z most noticeable?  Does the tongue come out for those sounds or is air released laterally/slushy out the sides of the mouth?   How are the CH  and SH sounds?  Are they strong and clear?  In rapid conversation? When you repeat    la la  la  la  la, look in the mirror and see if you are doing it with the tongue coming forward.  Now try to do it with mouth partly open and the tongue starting at  that “spot” behind the upper teeth and dropping down within the mouth.  The L sound is usually a giveaway to thrusting problems. When you are eating/chewing, is it easy to keep your mouth closed?  Do you seem to drink down food with liquids for most swallows? Are you primarily a nose breather or is your mouth open frequently? Do you have a history of thumb or other sucking habits as a kid?  Or now? Some of these things might help me to help you. If we can’t find a therapist for you and you think you want the program, let me know.  The manual (Myo Manual) and the items that go with it are pretty inexpensive.  You can check under the products section of the website, www.orofacialmyology.com. I’ll be waiting to hear back…. Sandra

Thank you for e-mailing me back, by the way my name is A. Yes, I can open widely and touch my upper teeth. I was seeing a speech pathologist before but my insurance did not cover the treatment so I had to stop treatment. And I still find it difficult to speak at times. I read on a website a couple months back that it is important to put your tongue behind my upper teeth on the ridged gum on the roof of the mouth and that is supposed to be the correct tongue resting posture, I been doing that ever since. Also I been searching for a speech pathologist in my area, that is in my insurance plan but I found none in my plan. So ordering it online is basically my last resort. If there is anything you can tell me more about this situation, I’m all ears. and I would like to know the  cost of your program because I am desperately in need of fixing my tongue thrust I cannot take it anymore. And also want to be a pastor, and with this problem I don’t even have enough guts to go speak in the front of the church because I think my tongue is going to get tied up or my speech is going to sound like I have a slur, so if you can help me in any way I will be very grateful. I live in New Jersey. My S and Z sounds I have to struggle to make. And when I make the S, or Z sounds my tongue goes to the right side of my mouth and pushes out. And is laterally and slushy and air is released. My sh and ch sounds are ok. I have bad sinuses so when I cant breath I breath threw my mouth and my tongue is down in my mouth. If you can find me a therapist it will be great, but in case you don’t is your program pretty easy to follow, and does it come with videos that I can watch and learn the exercises from?

Often, when the sounds are slushy and come out the side(s)…..it might have started with an “interdental” lisp where the tongue came forward…and then the person tries hard to keep the tongue inside and ends up with a lateral lisp, which is worse.  Unfortunately, many speech pathologists who do not understand about ‘tongue thrust” teach the person to keep the tongue inside.  Before learning to keep the tongue on the spot behind the upper teeth, it is important to get the tongue and other muscles in shape so that that new habit can be learned. The CD that comes with the Myo Manual is not one for demonstrations. I hope to add that at some time, but currently the CD is used at the end of the program and is a subconscious CD that uses autosuggestion to help the new habit become permanent. The program does not follow a cookbook approach, although it is presented in stages.  Stage one is getting the muscles in shape; two is learning to suction and swallow the new way, and Phase three is making everything a permanent new habit. I will send you the names of New Jersey members of the International Assoc. of Orofacial Myology and you can check if any live nearby. You are certainly able to purchase the Myo Manual as well. You mentioned issues with your airway.  We don’t begin treatment until someone is cleared for airway obstruction, so you should see an ENT to eliminate the cause of your airway issues, as well.