Debra Beckman provides intensive hands-on workshops for providers to learn the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol.

Oral motor impairment presents a variety of challenges for both the individual affected, and for the care team providing intervention. Often the individual experiencing oral motor difficulties is not able to follow commands. The person may not be eating or taking fluids orally, which reduces the opportunities for observation of oral movement patterns. The majority of baseline protocols currently available require at least minimal direction-following skills. The protocol developed by Beckman uses mechanical muscle responses, which are not mediated cognitively, to baseline the response to pressure and movement, range of movement, variety of movement, strength of movement and control of movement for the lips, cheeks, jaw, and tongue.

In this two day course (16 contact hours or 1.6 CEUs), participants will actively participate in hands-on practice for compensatory handling techniques for the following concerns: tonic bite, tonic bite on a utensil, slow oral transit, tongue thrust, cough, gag and vomit. The participants will complete an oral motor protocol with each other, analyze the results, and discuss data tracking. The participants will also complete hands-on practice for specific oral motor interventions to address the deficit areas discovered during baseline assessment.

Additional topics of discussion may include: goal writing, diet texture progression, tube to oral issues, adaptive mealtime utensils, oral hygiene issues, medication administration issues, oral function for individuals with trachs, facilitating improved articulation through oral motor techniques, research issues, videofluroscopy issues for motorically involved individuals, and additional topics of importance as determined by the participants. The information and techniques presented are inclusive, and should augment the skills and knowledge base of each participant.

Participants: Licensed speech pathologists and occupational therapists
Instructional Level:  Intermediate – This program is offered for 1.6 CEUs (Intermediate level; Professional area, knowledge of oral structures, muscles, and innervations).

Course Objectives: Participants will:

  • Demonstrate assessment battery for determining oro-facial movement patterns using the Beckman protocol.
  • Demonstrate compensatory handling techniques.
  • Demonstrate oral motor interventions and treatment techniques.
  • How does sensory input affect oral motor patterns?
  • How does gravity affect oral motor patterns?
  • What components must be assessed to determine oral motor function?
  • What interventions would increase secretion control and decrease drooling?
  • What interventions would decrease tongue thrust?

This is a one day course. Organizations that host or sponsor the Beckman Oral Motor Assessment & Intervention© course may also schedule this course for presentation the following day. Beckman Oral Motor Assessment & Intervention© is a pre-requisite to the Beckman Oro-facial Deep Tissue Release© course. Sixteen (16) is the maximum number of participants for this course.

During this course, participants will practice specific deep tissue release for the upper and lower lips, upper and lower cheeks, midface, jaw, and tongue. These interventions focus on increased range of movement for these structures. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to review techniques about which they have questions from the two-day course. Participants are invited to bring videotaped case studies for discussion and problem solving. This presentation will focus exclusively on the Beckman Oro-facial Deep Tissue Release and will not include information on other similar or related services.

Participants: Licensed speech pathologists and occupational therapists
Instructional Level:  Advanced – This program is offered for 0.75 CEUs (Advanced level; Professional area).

Course Objectives: Participants will:

          • Demonstrate intervention options for mobility of the lips, cheeks, midface, jaw, and tongue using deep tissue release
          • Problem solve issues regarding client specific oral motor and mealtime concerns
          • Demonstrate oral motor assessment and intervention techniques as determined by the participants
  • Where is deep tissue release pressure provided?
  • When is deep tissue release indicated?
  • How can the impact of deep tissue release be determined?

Sample Schedule
7:45 – 8:00 Registration
8:00 – 8:15 Pre-Test
8:15 – 10:15 Deep tissue releases for the lips (hands on practice)
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 12:00 Deep tissue releases for upper & Lower Cheeks (hands on practice)
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 2:30 Deep tissue releases for the jaw (hands on practice)
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 4:00 Deep tissue releases for the tongue (hands on practice)
4:00 – 4:45 Case studies, discussion
4:45 – 5:00 Post-Test

Workshops

Beckman Oral Motor provides intensive hands-on workshops taught by Debra Beckman. The workshops are held both internationally and throughout the U.S.A. for providers to earn CEUs while learning the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol.