I am a strong proponent of “drawing out the best in each child.” I realized
early on that I was having more success treating my clients’ speech disorders
than some of my colleagues. We often used the same worksheets, same
programs, and similar methods of positive reinforcement, so what was I doing
differently? Once I began to supervise other therapists, I began to understand
the answer to that question. In short, there is a big difference between
“drawing out the best in each child” and “pushing in our own ideas.”
When I examined what was available to help parents and children deal with
noxious oral habits such as thumb and finger sucking, I realized that there
were many scattered suggestions, but few organized tools to help them in a
positive way. The market offers interceptive methods that place pressure on
children to stop. Some methods advocate forms of punishment such as nasty
tasting substances on the fingers or nails. Others try to force the child to
change by using tightly fastened coverings on the hand or fingers, some of
which are hard materials that can injure the oral tissues if the child attempts to
suck the digit while wearing them. None of these approaches were
satisfactory to me and none of them fit with my credo of “drawing out the best
in each child.”
When I developed Unplugging The Thumb, I wanted to offer a positive,
relationship-building program to parents and children as well as to
professionals. I wanted to eliminate the frustration that many parents
experience when trying to get a child to stop a habit. And most of all, I wanted
to give the parent what he or she needed to become a “partner” with their
child. Thus, Unplugging The Thumb was envisioned and created…..to offer
an unstressful, “fun” way for parent and child to accomplish their goal as a
“team.” I offer you the opportunity to provide this simple, step-by-step,
enjoyable, yet inexpensive program to your child.
early on that I was having more success treating my clients’ speech disorders
than some of my colleagues. We often used the same worksheets, same
programs, and similar methods of positive reinforcement, so what was I doing
differently? Once I began to supervise other therapists, I began to understand
the answer to that question. In short, there is a big difference between
“drawing out the best in each child” and “pushing in our own ideas.”
When I examined what was available to help parents and children deal with
noxious oral habits such as thumb and finger sucking, I realized that there
were many scattered suggestions, but few organized tools to help them in a
positive way. The market offers interceptive methods that place pressure on
children to stop. Some methods advocate forms of punishment such as nasty
tasting substances on the fingers or nails. Others try to force the child to
change by using tightly fastened coverings on the hand or fingers, some of
which are hard materials that can injure the oral tissues if the child attempts to
suck the digit while wearing them. None of these approaches were
satisfactory to me and none of them fit with my credo of “drawing out the best
in each child.”
When I developed Unplugging The Thumb, I wanted to offer a positive,
relationship-building program to parents and children as well as to
professionals. I wanted to eliminate the frustration that many parents
experience when trying to get a child to stop a habit. And most of all, I wanted
to give the parent what he or she needed to become a “partner” with their
child. Thus, Unplugging The Thumb was envisioned and created…..to offer
an unstressful, “fun” way for parent and child to accomplish their goal as a
“team.” I offer you the opportunity to provide this simple, step-by-step,
enjoyable, yet inexpensive program to your child.
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| By Neo-Health Services, Inc. |