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Debbie's Blog
Thumb / Finger Sucking Alternatives
Question: My sensory child is more of a sucker than chewer. She usually sucks on her thumb and fingers, but I am wanting to get her some other options for school and transitions. She's 5. What do you recommend? Thumb/finger sucking can be a very hard habit to break - what works for one person may not work for [...]
Feeding Issues from Reflux
Question: I’m seeking help for our son. The short story is that my son was born at 25 weeks and was in the nicu for 3.5 months and has overcome many things. When he left the nicu he was always a tough feeder (fussy) but always ate plenty by bottle. Then during a re admission, his [...]
Building a Therapy Lego Wall
A lego wall is a very simple DIY project that packs a ton of therapeutic benefit. To assemble: simply attach a lego board to a wall. Mine is from at least 20 years ago so I don't know the exact brand anymore, but any lego / brick set that comes with a mat to stack [...]
Food Pocketing in the Lips, Cheeks, and/or Gums
Question: My four year old daughter pockets food in her lower gums. Foods like pizza, chicken, egg whites, etc. (that do not melt like crackers or cookies). She will simply let it stay in her gum pockets until she looks like a chipmunk and eventually we will have to remove it with our fingers. She is not able [...]
Sensory Benefits of Heavy Work Activities
Heavy work activities are any type of action that pushes or pulls against the body. This could be tension created by something pushing/pulling against your body (like swimming where the water pushes against the body) or tension that the body itself creates (like monkey bars where the body’s own weight creates the resistance). . . Who can benefit from heavy work [...]
Why Does My Older Child Chew on Everything?
Question: My 9 year old chews on everything... erasers, foam rubber, shirt collars. He has always had an oral fixation since he was a toddler, putting toys in his mouth and chewing on everything in sight. Is this something more than typical childhood behavior? I've read on some discussion boards that your "Grabbers" are often [...]
The Right and Wrong Way to Spoon Feed
Did you know that there is a right and wrong way to spoon feed? The wrong way involves lifting your hand upward as you remove the spoon from the child’s mouth. This method scrapes the spoon against the teeth, gums, and/or upper lip to get food off of the spoon. . . Scraping is not the normal, natural [...]
“Think Outside the Plate” Feeding Therapy Techniques
Kids naturally like to discover and learn new things - that’s why they break things, take them apart, get into trouble, etc. - it’s all a part of the learning experience. But when it comes to feeding/eating, sometimes kids get stuck. For one reason or another they stop trying new foods and exploring different textures. When [...]
Why Do Babies Put Everything in Their Mouths?
At about 5-6 months of age, almost anything within reach makes a beeline straight to the mouth - keys, toys, their feet, etc. This oral exploration has several developmental benefits/reasons: . . • It’s how babies first learn about the world around them. They’re utilizing all of their senses to experience new things, which includes the sense [...]
The Importance of Supporting Children Who Have Eating Problems
Hello, I am the mother of an almost 12 year old daughter. It has been a struggle ever since she moved from baby food to regular foods to get her to eat fruits or vegetables. Thankfully, she remains healthy so far, but I am concerned about her health long-term with her limited intake of nutritional foods. [...]
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