ARK's Blog

Question: My five-year-old has recently started biting his fingernails. I came across your site when trying to find a way to switch him away from that habit. I also bite my nails so I'd be interested in something for me too. Do you have any recommended products we should try?  . . We do!  A lot of people (both kids and adults) use our chew tools as a safe substitute for nail …

Question:  I’m a therapist searching for a product for an older woman with intellectual disabilities. She loves food and drink, but it’s not an option to drink and eat all day.  So we’re looking for a safe way to her to chew without actually eating. I was thinking about your grabbers? What do you think? Hope you can help me :-) .  . It does sound like our&nbs …

Question: I work with a child who has Down Syndrome. She is 16 months old. She presents with open mouth posture and tongue thrusting not during feeding. Mom purchased a Z-vibe and I saw your article on using the Z-vibe to promote lip closure. Only problem is....anytime we go near her mouth she thinks the item is food and tries to open her mouth and touch her tongue with it. She does not yet u …

Below are directions for a Straw / Lip Blok program I've used with many of my kids over the years. I usually do this in conjunction with tongue thrust therapy when their swallowing pattern needs to be changed.  And it also helps work on oral tone and tongue retraction. . . What You'll Need: 1. Krazy Straws. I typically use the ones in the picture below, in sequence f …