All of the advice, tips, and strategies below come from ARK's very own Debbie Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP. Please note: the information provided here should not be considered a substitute for an in-person evaluation and treatment by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, or another trained professional.
General Therapy Questions:
- Help! My child is a sensory seeker who craves heavy oral input. He chews on his fingers...shirts...pencils...everything. What can I do?
- Do you have any tips on how to decrease drooling?
- Do you have any tips for toothbrushing?
- Do you have any tips on how to teach blowing skills?
- What techniques would you recommend to decrease thumbsucking?
- My child grinds his teeth - what can I do to help him stop?
- My child has Down syndrome. Can you suggest any tools/strategies that might give her a head start on her speech and feeding skills?
- What is gum massage?
- To view all of our therapy ideas, browse our blog.
Oral Motor Therapy Questions:
- What kind of exercises can I do with the Z-Vibe?
- How long should I be using the Z-Vibe for in a single session?
- How can I improve jaw strength?
- How can I improve jaw grading & stability?
- How do you teach tongue lateralization?
- Do you have a list of fun/easy oral motor exercises?
- To view all of our oral motor posts and ideas, click here.
Speech Therapy Questions:
- My son's speech sounds slushy, and his jaw slides from side to side. Any thoughts?
- Any advice on how to teach children the difference between voiced and unvoiced phonemes?
- Is thumbsucking affecting my child's speech?
- To view all of our speech therapy posts and ideas, click here.
Feeding Therapy Questions:
- How do you develop a rotary (mature) chewing pattern?
- My son is on a g-tube. Do you have any advice that would help us work towards independent feeding?
- What should I look for in a sippy cup?
- How can I teach my child to drink from a straw?
- How can I improve a weak suck?
- Any tips for transitioning from bottle to cup?
- Do you have any tips to get toddlers to start finger feeding?
- How can I decrease oral defensiveness and normalize sensitivities in the mouth?
- My child cannot tolerate different food textures. How can I work on decreasing texture/food aversions?
- How can I teach biting and chewing skills?
- How can I keep my son from stuffing his mouth with food?
- How do I get my son to take consecutive bites of food?
- My son has a g-tube. We're trying to wean him off, but he seems afraid of cups and straws. Any ideas?
- My child will not chew soft foods - she swallows them whole. Help!
- Any tips for picky eaters?
- To view all of our feeding therapy posts and ideas, click here.