F. Advanced Integration of the Mouth (AIM) for Function
Presented by Irene Ingram, OTR
February 25, 2017
6 contact hours
Advanced Level
Audience: Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, interested others
February 25, 2017
6 contact hours
Advanced Level
Audience: Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, interested others
This course was created to provide the practitioner with a framework to problem solve functional skills evolving from oral and respiratory development. This will be done through the lens of embryonic and early childhood development. Achievement of hardiness, emotional and physical nutrition, sense of belonging, and safety are also key foundations for therapeutic outcomes. This course will provide opportunities to understand how the child moves from innate mechanisms, to refinement, to integration, and to skill with use of lecture, video, and many take away treatment activities.
Objectives: Participants will be able to:
Schedule* 6 Contact Hours
8:30 Overview of oral and respiratory embryonic and early childhood development and the “AIM” model.
10:00 Break
10:30 Underlying factors related to treatment outcomes for developing hardiness, the personal sense of safety, self and inner drive, etc.
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Identifying root issues for developing oral respiratory foundations, neurological substrates, sensory motor substrates,
2:30 break
3:00 Body readiness for interacting with the environment (eye- hand-mouth; postural -motor -skills; auditory and visual -space)
4:30 Adjourn
*Topic times may vary; contact hours do not.
Objectives: Participants will be able to:
- Describe key components of embryonic and early childhood development that impact treatment.
- Describe techniques for addressing hardiness, safety and personal sense of self.
- Identify strategies to develop rhythmicity in breath, suck, and chew.
- List techniques that move innate mechanisms, to refinement, to integration, and to skill
Schedule* 6 Contact Hours
8:30 Overview of oral and respiratory embryonic and early childhood development and the “AIM” model.
10:00 Break
10:30 Underlying factors related to treatment outcomes for developing hardiness, the personal sense of safety, self and inner drive, etc.
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Identifying root issues for developing oral respiratory foundations, neurological substrates, sensory motor substrates,
2:30 break
3:00 Body readiness for interacting with the environment (eye- hand-mouth; postural -motor -skills; auditory and visual -space)
4:30 Adjourn
*Topic times may vary; contact hours do not.

Patricia Oetter, MA, OTR, FAOTA is an occupational therapist whose work encompasses many disability groups aged newborn to adult. She lectures extensively on topics related to sensory integration, oral and respiratory function and postural/motor development. Ms. Oetter’s MA is in special education and she is the primary author of the MORE book. She is currently in private practice and provides short term intensive treatment sessions, mentoring through practicums and consultation both nationally and internationally. You can visit her at her website.

Irene Ingram, OTR is a 1978 graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina. She is a pediatric occupational therapist who loves learning, problem solving and helping each child reach their potential. Irene specializes in treating head/neck issues from a developmental approach. She creatively uses reflexes to integrate their systems. She cleverly pulled together methods to treat emotional systems via movement and reflexes. Irene’s creativity and vision is her gift to the profession and children. She sees layers of the healing process in each kid and addresses her teachings accordingly. Irene has taught nationally and uses a hands on approach so that therapists leave with take away skills.
She is founder of Therapeutic Designs and Services, which is a sensory integration clinic in operation for 36 years.
She has a vast range of study that includes:
You may visit Irene on her website.
She is founder of Therapeutic Designs and Services, which is a sensory integration clinic in operation for 36 years.
She has a vast range of study that includes:
- Sensory integration certification
- Sensory processing
- Sensory defensiveness
- Auditory integration with use of Therapeutic Listening and Samonas Sound Therapy
- Intensive work combining Lindamood-Bell programs and brain integration programs for bringing foundational skills into the child’s reading, math, spelling and comprehension
- Work with the arousal system for the child’s modulation, self management, and attention
- Development of function in the body and hands for function in the home, self help, fine motor, gross motor, and visual perceptual skills
- Cranial sacral therapy and lymphatic drainage of the brain for assisting the body to improve its information processing and overall health
You may visit Irene on her website.