Alternative Speech Therapy

A frustrated gentleman who we’ll call Scott sought David out after having been to many speech therapists worldwide. Scott had woken up one morning and, with no warning or explanation, his tongue was dead. He could no longer form words. Diagnosed with a speech disorder called Lingual Dystonia and told by all the speech therapists he had visited that he could not be helped, he put himself in David’s hands. David taught Scott how to access his facial muscles by becoming acutely aware of them through custom vocal exercises that included singing. Scott wrote on a piece of paper “I can’t speak and you want me to sing?”

“There’s always a way in.”
Not only did David want Scott to sing, because singing properly is the most comprehensive way to get the speaking voice in shape, he insisted that Scott discontinue his regular Botox injections he was receiving to alleviate his tongue spasms. David needed Scott to feel everything. By retraining the way he, from birth, had been forming words, along with the joy and technical realities of singing, Scott began to speak without the use of his tongue as he knew it. Though the disorder remains a mystery, as David says, “there’s always a way in.”

David works with Speech Disorders in cases of Autism, Down Syndrome, Cleft Palate, Lingual Dystonia and Hearing Impairment. Specialized Programs are also designed in the areas of Vocal Health and Maintenance and Post-Op Rehabilitation.