Straw #3

Sorry for the long break between posting!

At our last speech therapy appointment, the ST suggested that we move Osiyyah up to straw # 3. He had been at #2 for awhile and it was time to move on. So, we decided to move up to #3 and I'm glad we did. I have noticed more improvement in drinking with that straw since we started it.

In case someone is not familiar with what I am referring to when I say "Straw #3" I am referring to the Straw Hierarchy from TalkTools/Sara Rosenfeld Johnson's Oral Motor (Placement) Therapy Program.


The straw hierarchy works on lip close, tongue retraction & lip rounding. In the above picture, Straw #1 is on the left & it goes to Straw #8 on the right (they are in order from L to R). With Straw #1, it takes a little bit longer to "master" that straw than some of the others. Straw #1 has a long tip before the tongue block. As the child is able to drink out of the straw better & better, 1/4" is cut off of the straw, until there is only 1/4" of straw left above the lip block. This will encourage the child to suck out of the straw using his lips, rather than his tongue. By using his tongue, that encourages tongue protrusion and not tongue retraction. Using his lips, it encourages tongue retraction, lip closure & lip rounding.

As to where to get Talk Tools Straw Hierarchy, click here.

Straw #3 is quite a tall straw! It looks kind of funny in the cups Osiyyah uses:




Qadoshyah