Therapy Goals
- Build awareness, placement, strength, and stability of the lip closure needed for bilabial phoneme production
- Develop muscle memory for sustained lip closure in functional speech and feeding contexts
- Target mentalis muscle placement, strength, and stability to support /r/ and vocalic /r/ production
- Reduce w/r substitution by establishing more complete lip closure and forward lip posture
- Improve saliva management and reduce drooling through strengthened lip closure
- Grade lip resistance progressively using weighted attachments matched to each client’s current skill level
Key Benefits
- Colorful weighted pieces increase engagement and make lip exercises motivating for children and adults
- Compatible with any standard 5/8-inch tongue depressor, so no proprietary handle is required
- Each piece is clearly marked with its corresponding weight for easy clinical grading
- Two pieces of every size allow for mixing and matching to meet individual client needs
- Based on exercises from Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson’s Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) for Speech Clarity and Feeding
- Addresses bilabial sound production, /r/, and drooling management in a single integrated program
- Free of BPA, BPS, PVC, phthalates, and other potentially harmful toxins
- Dishwasher safe for simple, reliable hygiene between clients
Ideal for:
- Speech-language pathologists addressing lip closure for bilabial sound production
- Clients with /r/ or vocalic /r/ errors, including those presenting with a w/r substitution
- Individuals who drool or have difficulty managing saliva
- Clients with low oral muscle tone or reduced lip strength and stability
- Therapists providing Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) or orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT)
- School-based and private practice clinicians treating clients across the lifespan
What’s Included
- 2 x each weighted Lip Gym piece (one complete set per size)
- 1 x step-by-step instruction guide
- 1 x quick reference chart
Not included: 1 x standard 5/8-inch tongue depressor is required for use and is not included.
Product Details
| Material | BPA-free, BPS-free, PVC-free, phthalate-free plastic |
| Compatibility | Fits all standard 5/8-inch tongue depressors |
| Safety | Free of BPA, BPS, PVC, phthalates, and other potentially harmful toxins |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes (top rack) |
| Developed by | Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP; inspired by Jennifer Occhipinti Tonelli, MA, CCC-SLP |
| Part of | Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) program |
Care Instructions
- Wash all Lip Gym pieces thoroughly with warm soapy water before first use
- Clean after each client use with warm soapy water or place on the top rack of a dishwasher
- All weighted pieces are dishwasher safe; use the top rack only
- Do not use bleach, abrasive cleaners, or harsh chemicals on any piece
- Follow standard tongue depressor disposal guidelines; do not reuse tongue depressors between clients
- Inspect each piece before every use and dispose of any piece showing signs of cracking, discoloration, or deterioration
Warning: Use with adult supervision at all times. Not recommended for use while unsupervised. Inspect the product before every use and dispose of it properly at the first sign of damage or deterioration.
