 Vol.
I, No. 1 |
In
this issue:
Tongue
Thrust
Be
a good listener
Food
alergies and A.D.D.
Tongue
Thrust
WHAT IS IT?
Tongue thrust is the pushing of the tongue
against the teeth while swallowingor at rest. The average
person swallows 2000 - 4000 times a day and exertsas much
as 6 pounds of pressure against the teeth each time. This
can pushthe teeth out of line and cause distorted speech
sounds.
WHAT CAUSES IT?
- Thumb sucking and nail biting
- Mouth breathing
- Premature loss of "baby" teeth
- Lack of muscle coordination
- Hereditary factors
- Tongue-tie
- Bottle feeding
WHY IS MY CHILD'S ORTHODONTIST CONCERNED?
If a child is swallowing incorrectly -
constantly pushing the tongue against the teeth - it
will be impossible to maintain the fall orthodontic
result. Therefore, it is important to correct the tongue
thrust before braces are removed.
WHO CAN HELP?
A speech therapist can help your child learn to swallow
and produce sounds correctly. There are
presently many adults who never received help to correct
their "tongue thrust". Speech is characterized by a
distorted "s" sound and may inhibit professional development
and advancement. A speech therapist can help make a
difference.
Be
a good listener
Communication is especially challenging
when the speaker has a speech problem.This may be the
result of a stroke, a head injury associated with an
autoaccident, Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's Disease, etc.
Just imagine how you wouldfeel if you were trying to
communicate with someone who looked around theroom and
had no eye contact, fidgeted in their chair, said "uh-huh"
appropriately,pretending understand, kept interrupting
you with "what did you say?", etc.You would probably
decide that was easier to just say nothing.
As a listener, you can help reduce the speaker's anxiety
and actually increase his/her ability to communicate
by making a few simple changes:
• Make eye contact, sit still and appear to have enough
time to listen.
• Eliminate any distracting noises.
• If you cannot understand the speaker, help him by
determining the subject through yes / no
questions, e.g., "Are you hurting?", "Did you lose your
glasses?", "Do you need medicine?", etc.
• Ask the speaker if he can write his response. This
may not always be possible.
• Do not feel ashamed or embarrassed if you have to
admit, "I'm sorry, but I'm not understanding." Praise
the speaker for trying!
FYI
FOOD
ALLERGIES AND A.D.D.
Some common food allergens associated with Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD) include artificial colorants
and preservatives, soybeans, cow's milk, corn, chocolate,
wheat, peanuts, eggs andcitrus.
It is important to know that 95% of all food allergies
may have a delayed onset (from 2 hours to 3 days) before
the first reaction signs appear. Consult your physician
for more information.
Follow My Directions
Have your child listen carefully
as you give him/her a direction. For example, say "put your hand on your head."
Gradually make the directionmorecomplicated ("put your
hand on yourhead and smile.") to increase the funandchallenge.
Picture Book Questions
Share a story with your child. Help
to sharpen his/her skillsby asking questions about the
story as you read along. For example,"What is
the name of the dog in the story?" "Where did the dog
run away to?" "What is the name of the boy in the story?"
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