Education and demonstration – Language – Speech
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-01
2003-10-14
Fernstrom, Kurt (Department: 3712)
Education and demonstration
Language
Speech
Reexamination Certificate
active
06632095
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to tools for use in speech therapy and specifically to a tongue lifter.
It is believed that about 10% of American people have some kind of speech problem. The most common type of speech problem is an articulation problem where a person is unable to pronounce specific sounds of American English. The two sounds that most people have difficulty in pronouncing are the “esss” /s/ sound and the “er” /3
~
/ sound. Of the two, most people have problems pronouncing the /3
~
/ sound. Proper pronunciation of the /3
~
/ sound requires elevation of the rear and middle portions of the tongue. This type of tongue elevation is hard to illustrate to a patient, thereby making it difficult to teach.
To teach proper tongue positioning for pronouncing the /3
~
/ sound, many speech language pathologists currently use a common tongue depressor to elevate the tongue. The problem with a tongue depressor is that it offers inadequate support to the tongue and the tongue tends to roll off the depressor. Moreover, because a tongue depressor is planar, its edge is used to lift the tongue. Even though, the edge of the tongue depressor is sometimes rounded, use of the edge to lift the tongue may often result in injury, as for example, a laceration of the tongue.
Consequently, a tongue lifter is desired that can be used for positioning the tongue of a person in the appropriate elevated position for pronouncing the /3
~
/ sound and for teaching such person the proper position of the tongue for pronouncing the /3
~
/ sound. Moreover, a tongue lifter is desired that is capable of supporting the tongue at the appropriate position without risk of injury to the tongue.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 4997182 (1991-03-01), Kussick
patent: 5036835 (1991-08-01), Filli
patent: 5213553 (1993-05-01), Light
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patent: 5873818 (1999-02-01), Rothfels
Intra-Oral Therapy Tools, Speech Dynamics Incorporated Catalog 2001, p. 23.*
Nemoy, Elizabeth McGinley, et al., The Correction of Defective Consonant Sounds, a Teachers' Manual of Ear Training Stories and Motivated Lessons for Group or Individual Instruction, 1937, p. 144, Expression Company, Boston.
Baker, Richard D., et al., Sound Evocation Program II, Monterey Articulation Program, 1975, p. 47, Monterey Learning Systems, Palo Alto.
Hanson, Marvin L., Approaches to Articulation Training, Articulation, 1983, p. 148, W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia.
Weiss, Curtis E., et al., Elicit Sounds in the Simplest Way, Clinical Management of Articulatory and Phonologic Disorders, Second Edition, 1987, p. 174-175, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore.
Bernthal, John E., et al., Instruction for Production of the /3~/, Articulation and Phonological Disorders, Third Edition, 1993, p. 404, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Boshart, Char, The RRRRundown on How to RRRRemediate “R”, Speech Dynamo, A Newsletter by Speech Dynamics, Inc., May 1998, vol. 5.
Intra-Oral Therapy Tools, Speech Dynamics Incorporated Catalog 2001, pp. 23, 35 and 38.
Oral-Motor Therapy Kit, imaginart, Bisbee, AZ, 1 page.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Fernstrom Kurt
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