FACILITATION OF ORAL-MOTOR PLANNING AND COORDINATION

Rationale: Current research supports targeting oral motor planning and coordination. Many people who stutter, both children and adults, speak with reduced articulatory movement, reduced jaw opening and increased velocity of movement. Slowing the speaking rate while increasing articulatory movement, facilitates increased spacing and timing of articulatory movement which enhances fluency.

Activities/Techniques

1. Activities for slowed speaking rate may be used to target this goal.

2. Encourage and reinforce over-articulation during all speaking activities once the child has established a reasonable level of fluency. If over-articulation is introduced too early, clients have difficulty focusing on both fluency techniques and over-articulation.

3. If the client exhibits severe groping and posturing behaviors, or other behaviors which may be characteristic of developmental dyspraxia, more direct dyspraxic treatment may be warranted.

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