What is OPT - in english

OP … what?

Oral Placement Therapy is a speech therapy which utilizes a combination of: (1) auditory stimulation, (2) visual stimulation and (3) tactile stimulation to the mouth to improve speech clarity.

OPT is an important addition to traditional speech treatment methods for clients with placement and movement deficits.

It is a tactile-proprioceptive teaching technique which accompanies traditional therapy. Traditional therapy is primarily auditory and visual.

Clients with motor and/or sensory impairments benefit from tactile and proprioceptive components because speech is a tactile-proprioceptive act.

OPT is used to improve articulator awareness, placement (dissociation, grading, and direction of movement), stability, and muscle memory; all of these are necessary for the development of speech clarity.

Which clients are concerned?

OPT can be used with clients of many ages and ability levels. It can be incorporated into program plans for many types of speech disorders (e.g., dysarthria, apraxia of speech voice disorders, fluency disorders and post CVA clients, as well as clients with mild-to-profound levels of hearing loss).

Many of the clients who require these techniques have often received traditional auditory and visually based speech facilitation for a number of years, with minimal success. No one is at fault for the client’s difficulty in learning to produce target speech sounds.

Traditional speech facilitation has not been effective with these clients because there may be a movement or placement disorder. So, before introducing any of the OPT techniques, the client’s motor functioning for speech and feeding should be thoroughly assessed.

How does it work?

OPT teaches oral structural placement to clients who cannot produce or imitate speech sounds using traditional auditory or visual input. For these clients, it is critical to expand speech sound production from phonemes and other similar oral movements the client can already produce.

Once a client can produce a targeted speech sound using traditional auditory or visual input, speech therapy can progress in a more typical manner.

OPT is only a small part of a comprehensive speech and language program and should not be done in isolation. The activities are carefully selected to stimulate the same movements used in the targeted speech production. They can be completed in under 15 minutes and can be used to refocus attention and concentration from a sensory processing perspective

How to study OPT

TalkTools® Levels OPT™ Specialist Training Program

 

TalkTools® exclusive training program is the only officially recognized advanced training program for OPT (Oral Placement Therapy)™ available

Levels Training Application

Application is required even if you have completed some or all lower level ( Level 1 or/and 2)  coursework

Application is required even if you started some or all Lower Level (Level 1/Level 2) coursework

Lower Level

 

 
LEVEL 1

Foundational

COMPLETION OF LEVEL 1 (4 steps)

  1. Levels™ Training application submission
  2. Completion of 3-Part Treatment Plan for OPT™ — our foundational OPT course self-study, virtual streaming or in-person workshop
  3. Completion of OPT: Assessment and Program Plan Development™ ––apply what you’ve learned to build your own OPT Program™ self-study, virtual streaming or in-person workshop
  4. 3 months applied OPT™ techniques in your practice

All TalkTools learners receive a CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION after they complete a TalkTools® course — this certificate verifies they have completed a TalkTools course and can integrate the OPT™ techniques and principles they learned in their therapy practice.

 

Level 1 is comprised of our foundational OPT™ courses in the following formats:

  •    on-demand/self-study
  •    in-person on a scheduled date/time

  •    virtual streaming (ex., Zoom) on a scheduled date/time

  This is what you get from Level 1 training:

acquire practical techniques that be utilized with the speech and feeding team right away

gain functional, straightforward concepts that can be implemented with other therapy approaches

be equipped to move forward on their TalkTools® educational journey

Lower Level

LEVEL 2

Intermediate

 

Level 2 is comprised of our specialty courses in the following formats:

  •     on-demand/self-study
  •     in-person on a scheduled date/time
  •     virtual streaming (ex., Zoom) on a scheduled date/time

Upon completion of Level 2 coursework, you can expect to:

  •     develop a broader practical knowledge and proficiency in OPT™
  •     gain additional knowledge and training in key therapeutic areas, such as feeding, sensory regulation, and speech disorders
  •     continue to empower their clients and the families they serve
  •     further your TalkTools education to prepare for Level 3
 
 

Upper Level

LEVEL 3

TalkTools® OPT™ Specialist

 

The Level 3 Training Program:

  •     — a multi-day, interactive workshop (either virtual streaming — i.e., Zoom — or in-person).
  •     — limited to a small cohort of Level 2 learners.
  •     — The cohort will work closely with the Instructor to review client case studies and guide the candidates on critical thinking, evaluation strategies and OPT™ treatment plans.
  •     — A pre-workshop self-study and training module will also be part of the training

This is what you get from Level 3 Training:

  •     — Expanded oral-motor, speech and feeding knowledge to further empower your clients and their families
  •     — Additional insight for referrals
  •     — Growth in critical thinking skills
  •     — Understanding and applying the “team approach” in your practice
  •     — Immersive, collaborative learning experience with other committed and passionate professional and led by top speech and feeding therapists and OPT™ experts
  •     — Level 3 OPT™ Specialist Certificate, which certifies that you are an officially recognized and qualified TalkTools® Level 3 OPT™ Specialist
  •     — Member of the TalkTools® Levels OPT™ Therapist Global Network
  •     — Level 3 OPT™ Specialist badge to designate status in communications, marketing and client outreach
  •     — Special discounts and offers on TalkTools® products and services (only on direct orders, with custom     clearance, VAT procedures etc)
  •     — 1-on-1 mentoring from the TalkTools® Teaching Team
  •     — Eligible to apply to the TalkTools® Instructor Training Program
  •     — Contributor to the TalkTools® community for blog posts and articles and for feedback on new tools and training and other beneficial topics
 
 

Upper Level

LEVEL 4

TalkTools® OPT™ Advanced Specialist

 

The Level 4 Training Program:

  •    — is a multi-day workshop (either virtual streaming — i.e., Zoom — or in-person).
  •    — is limited to a small cohort of Level 3 OPT™ Specialists
  •    — The cohort will provide their own OPT™ case studies and, together with the Instructor, will engage in interactive, collaborative discussions on how build comprehensive assessment and treatment plans.
  •    — The cohort will learn from each other, as well as the Instructor.
  •    — A pre-workshop self-study and training module will also be part of the training.

This is what you get from Level 4 Training:

  •     Share your Level 3 experience and expertise to brainstorm practical solutions to tough case studies in real-time with other like-minded Level 3 peers in a supportive and collaborative environment
  •     Extensive and direct speech and feeding knowledge, skills and expertise to empower your clients, their families and enrich your community
  •     Exclusive, personal cohort-led learning experience, guided by top speech and feeding therapists and OPT™ experts. 
  •     Level 4 OPT™ Advanced Specialist Certificate, which certifies that you are an officially recognized and qualified TalkTools® Level 4 OPT™ Advanced Specialist
  •     Senior member of the TalkTools® OPT™ Specialist Global Network
  •     Level 4 OPT™ Advanced Specialist badge to designate your status in communications, marketing and client outreach
  •     Expanded discounts and exclusive offers on TalkTools® products and services  (only on direct orders, with custom     clearance, VAT procedures etc)
  •    1-on-1 mentoring from the TalkTools® Teaching Team
  •    Provide guidance to Level 1 and Level 2 therapists
  •    Eligible to apply to the TalkTools® Instructor Training Program

  •     Serve as a principal contributor to the TalkTools® community for blogs, articles and on feedback on new tools and training and other beneficial topics

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