Great Product
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This is everyday OT feeding treatment staple for my business! We absolutely love this for all of our infants, toddlers and children!
The all-in-one oral motor tool; **Click to see all 9 colors**|||ARK's Z-Vibe® is a vibratory oral motor tool that can help build oral tone and improve a variety of speech, feeding, and sensory skills. Use it to provide a varied sensory experience and/or to provide targeted tactile cues within the oral cavity. Its gentle vibration provides a new level of sensory stimulation to increase oral focus and draw more attention to the lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw. Vibration can also be very calming, soothing, and organizing.
The Z-Vibe®'s sleek, innovative design features a lightweight, plastic handpiece with gentle bumps around its circumference for a non-slip grip. This texture can also be brushed along the cheeks, arms, hands, etc. for additional tactile input. The handle comes with a blue Probe Tip on one end and a Switch Tip on the other. Use the Probe Tip for oral motor assessment and development. To turn the unit on, simply twist the Switch Tip at the opposite end of the handle just until the unit starts to vibrate (please do not over-tighten).
Designed with versatility in mind, there are over 35 tip attachments available in various sizes, textures, and resiliencies. From spoons to toothbrushes to pencils and more, the same handle can shift goals simply by switching out one tip for another. View them all here.
Caution: the Z-Vibe is NOT a toy. It is a therapeutic tool intended to be used by a professional therapist (or by parents trained by their therapist). It contains small parts (including a battery) that may pose a choking hazard: direct adult supervision is required at all times.
Why It Works |
Most of us are either visual or auditory learners. But when these two senses are not enough, you may need to physically direct the articulators for certain speech and feeding skills. ARK's Z-Vibe® is an ideal tool to help you do so. Therapists (and trained caregivers) can use it to provide targeted tactile cues within the oral cavity to teach tongue elevation, tongue lateralization, lip closure, rotary chewing, and much more. For example, use the Z-Vibe® to apply gentle pressure to the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper front teeth). Then remove the Z-Vibe® and instruct the individual to touch the same spot with his/her tongue tip. You can also follow up by prompting the individual to say the tongue tip sounds /t/d/n/l/. When just touching the lips, tongue, cheeks, etc. doesn’t provide enough input, simply turn the Z-Vibe® on. Its gentle vibration provides a new level of tactile awareness for additional sensory feedback, to help "wake up" the mouth, and to draw more acute attention to specific movements of the cheek, jaw, lips, and tongue. Please note that by no means does an individual have to use vibration to acquire skills for feeding and articulation. Some people simply do not like vibration - and that's ok! Even without vibration, the Z-Vibe® can still provide a vast range of sensory stimulation.
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Benefits |
Increase Oral Awareness: Decrease Oral Sensitivities and Food/Texture Aversions: Calm and Soothe: Transition from Puréed to Textured Foods: Increase Interest in Therapy: Teach Biting and Chewing Skills: Develop Oral Motor Skills: Improve Oral Hygiene: Work on Writing Skills:
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FAQs |
Who manufactures the Z-Vibe®? Are the materials safe? Why does it require a special battery? Who can benefit from the Z-Vibe®? Is vibration right for everyone? I am a parent/caregiver. Can I use the Z-Vibe® at home? Can my child use the Z-Vibe® on his own?
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