ARK's Blog

This helpful guest blog comes to us from Molly Dresner, MS, CCC-SLP. Let’s talk about our little friends with big feelings. These powerful feelings are a natural phenomenon for toddlers. Their emotions are real and intense and they do not have the appropriate logic or language to easily calm themselves.  So what do we get instead?  Big, red, fiery tantrums!  But don&rsqu …

This introduction to sensory diets is courtesy of Kristen Cooper, MS, OTR/L aka OT Mamacita. The term “sensory diet” has become more popular in recent years, but the understanding of what it is, let alone how to develop one, may not be clear to parents and educators.  Contrary to its name, it is not a diet of food you eat, rather, it is like the concept of a diet wherein yo …

This wonderful guest post comes to us from Ashley Thurn, MS, OTR/L. As a mom of two kids under the age of five, I know first-hand how mess making during mealtime can really drive a type-A mama like myself to the brink of insanity.   (Over and over again, every day.)  But as a pediatric occupational therapist, who specializes in sensory related feeding issues and picky eating, …

This informative guest blog post is courtesy of Lori Nachtigal-Rothschild, MS, CCC-SLP.   Question: What are the most important skills for chewing harder foods?  Answer: Tongue-jaw disassociation (separation) and jaw pressure (aka jaw strength) are the 2 most important skills for breaking down harder foods like carrots, celery, and harder meats. . Developmental Stage …