Nonverbal? Try Practicing Jaw Exercises Together | An Effective Parent-Child Team | Pediatric PT #1

👋 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, I have seen again and again that children make meaningful progress when families are given clear guidance and work consistently together—regardless of how significantly involved a child may be. 💙 It is truly an honor and a privilege to work alongside families who are deeply committed partners in their child’s growth. You are about to meet one of those families. 👩🏽‍👦🏽 Meet Palaash and His Mom, Nemu In this video, you will meet Palaash, a 12-year-old with autism, and his mother Nemu. Both of Palaash’s parents are actively and consistently involved as a team, supporting him as he continues to build communication and oral-motor skills. ⌨️ Palaash is nonverbal and communicates primarily by typing on a communication device. 🗣️🏃🏽‍♂️🏊🏽‍♂️ He currently receives speech and language therapy, physical therapy, and therapeutic swim lessons. I previously worked with Palaash as his physical therapist for approximately six years, and it has been a privilege to witness his continued progress over time. 🌱 🟥 What You’ll See in This Video In this session, we demonstrate the jaw (red) set from the Webber Photo Oral Motor Cards by Super Duper, focusing on: ✔️ Jaw opening and closing ✔️ Sustained mouth closure with nasal breathing 👃 ✔️ Shaping “oh” and “oo” sounds 👄 ✔️ Parent-supported imitation and consistency 🤝 🔍 About the Oral Motor Cards I am not affiliated with Super Duper in any way and receive no financial incentive if you click the link below. I am sharing this resource because Super Duper creates high-quality educational materials that I used regularly throughout my clinical career. 🔗 Webber Photo Oral Motor Cards: https://www.superduperinc.com/webber-oralmotor-photo-cards.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqEjJtIWYTYlXkBlwZ3joZVO19q6fJQl8dmKO-CyrniYLxIbaPE 🪞💪🏾 For Parents and Therapists If you are supporting a child who is autistic, nonverbal, or has oral-motor planning challenges, I hope this video provides practical ideas, encouragement, and confidence to practice together. 🎥 Watch Palaash’s Full Video Series These videos are best watched in order to follow Palaash’s progress over time: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjPwLKSTp9mZBxo0RujvdTYO ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro – Meet Palaash and his mom, Nemu 00:07 Background: communication, autism, and therapy history 00:32 Introduction to the Webber Photo Oral Motor Cards (jaw set) 00:57 Jaw Card #1: Lower jaw and open wide 01:22 Practice frequency and long-term consistency at home 02:23 Jaw Card #2: Close mouth and hold (30 seconds) 03:07 Mouth breathing vs. nasal breathing practice 03:44 Jaw Card #3: Shaping “oh” and “oo” sounds 05:17 Adding “mmm–ooo” sound sequencing 05:39 Closing thoughts and next steps in the jaw card series 05:54 Subscribe and notification reminder 🌈🌐 Stay Connected 🌐 Website: www.pediatricPTexercises.com 📘 Facebook: Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises 📧 Email: amysturkey@gmail.com Please note: I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated. 📚 Children’s Educational Books 📘 P is for Poop and Pee Accidents https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 📘 A is for Anxiety https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V 📘 A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR 📘 C is for Cerebral Palsy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP 📘 D is for Down Syndrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 📘 A is for Autism https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB 📘 Professional Books for Pediatric Therapists 📗 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 📗 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 📗 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD 🌍 Captions & Accessibility ▶️ To turn on captions: Click CC 🌐 To change the caption language: Settings → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate