Placement tools enhance the ability for a child to achieve the correct positioning of the articulators to produce a target sound. They can also be used to improve oral motor skills. When being used to improve oral motor each clinician will be able to answer why they are using something and how it relates to improved communication, swallowing etc.
We use a variety of placement tools with some children receiving treatment for articulation disorders such as dyspraxia or dysarthria.
There are several common ones such as bitesticks, jaw stabilizers, chewies, straw blocks as a few examples. We also have commercial items such as: Speech Buddies Placement Tools. These are a set of clinically proven tools that help children overcome speech difficulties. They teach correct tongue positioning for the R, S, L, CH, and SH sounds by using targets. Children can feel how to correct a problem sound. Speech Buddies were designed by a team of expert SLPs and engineers from MIT & Columbia Universities.
