Using Unplugging The Thumb to stop sucking habit

Hi, Sandra!     I am so excited to have you joining us for the Missouri Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention.  I will definitely be at your sessions!  In the meantime, would you be willing to provide me with some tips for a parent of a 4th grader on how to get her son to stop sucking his thumb?  Mom says she has tried everything and nothing has worked.  It is also interesting to note that this same child has significant weakness of the tongue. He can not push forward on a tongue depressor without curling the tongue tip up and using the jaw for support.  He is unable to push the tongue upward against the tongue depressor without the use of the jaw for assistance.  Reaching forward with the tongue to touch an object placed in front of the mouth is also very difficult.  He also has an open bite.  Any advice?? Thanks, J

Hi J,

I, too, am looking forward to returning to Missouri.  I just returned home from St. Louis two days ago!  I had a nice group of SLPs there for a 16 hour course.

For therapy:  After a very thorough evaluation/oral examination, I make sure the child is aware of the damage the thumb has caused…via photos, videos, or a mirror.  I then show him photos and videos of others and read the book about someone who has quit.  I get the child’s ok to go ahead and get him via power of suggestion and self-fulfilling prophesy to really want to quit and to believe that he, like the other children in the DVD or video, can quit.  If he hesitates, I take another route.  If he is willing, I start right away and offer Unplugging the Thumb program, as a positive reinforcement, involving his parents, using the charts, and requiring him to phone in daily to me, and other steps.

As you can see, it is not dependent upon what is used, so much as it is dependent upon the relationship you build with him and the relationship his parent begins to have with him.

There is no magic trick that works with all kids, but the approaches that orofacial myologists have used are “user-friendly” and leave the child feeling proud of himself as opposed to humiliated into quitting, etc.

I wish I were able to give you more info, but my method requires the parent or slp be aware of many possible road hazards and how to avoid them, etc.  But at least I wanted to give you a quick outline of the approach.  If I decide to give part of the presentation on thumbsucking elimination in March, then you’ll have a better idea of the details involved.  I’m trying to be sure that whatever I present covers those particular areas in detail as much as possible.  So many aspects of orofacial myology overlap that it is difficult to be concise with any of them!!!

I hope this helps at least a wee bit….

My best,

Sandra

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