ARK's Blog

The brain is still developing well into young adulthood.  What we do now will affect the health of our brain in the years to come.  Take a look at these tips to ensure your brain has what it needs to function at its highest potential for learning. . Things to consider for your brain to function at its best – and for you to feel your best: . EAT A RAINBOW  Eat a colorf …

Drooling is a normal process during infancy and toddler stages, as tooth eruption causes increased saliva production.  This excess saliva can be difficult for the baby/toddler to manage, and so it may spill out of the mouth.  Past this normal stage, however, drooling can become a social and developmental problem. Before beginning any drooling remediation program, there are many fact …

For infants, learning how to bite and chew is a crucial stage of feeding development.  At approximately 5-6 months of age, babies begin using their fingers and mouths for oral exploration using a bite and release pattern.  The development of biting and chewing continues from this point on, with the baby refining the movements of the jaw, tongue, and lips.  When infants miss a part o …

Gum massage is a simple yet effective way to provide oral stimulation to a large surface area within the mouth.  This tactile input can: •  help decrease oral aversions for hypersensitive individuals  •  help increase oral awareness for hyposensitive individuals  •  help decrease drooling, mouth stuffing, and/or the need the chew •  be very cal …