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

Using Unplugging The Thumb to stop sucking habit

Friday, 30 October 2015 / Published in Dental Hygienist, Dentists, Orofacial Myologist, Orthodontist, Parents, speech languge pathologist, Therapists

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

 Post: Stop sucking habit
Tagged under: curling the tongue tip, open bite, thumb sucking, unable to push the tongue upward, unplugging the thumb

What you can read next

myo-lip-meter-tool-orofacial-myology
Myo Lip Meter What should we do here if we don’t have a Myo Lip Meter?
Older female who developed severe tongue thrusting
Help for eight yr old girl with thumb sucking

Search

Archives

  • 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