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Debbie's Blog
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. [...]
Training the Oral Musculature with Lip Bloks
Hi! I have a 2 year old patient (12-14 month old skill level) who has significant tongue protrusion when attempting to drink out of a cup - this is not noted during any other feeding activities. I think it's because she was exclusively bottle-fed for up to 20 months. I bought some lip blocks and the [...]
Back to School Sensory Strategies
Back to school can be a very stressful time for any child as they adapt to new surroundings, new friends, new teachers, new classes, etc. You may see their sensory needs increase during this time. For instance, the child may be very fidgety in class, may act out more, may start chewing on things or their [...]
Drooling - Getting to the Root of the Problem
I was looking at some of the tools and videos on your site. I have a 9 year old daughter with low tone in her face and some periodic drooling. I have taken her to various speech therapists in the area for help with this issue and most say to remind her to swallow. Now [...]
Vertical Velcro Pull for Finger, Hand, & Shoulder Strengthening
This vertical pulling activity is a simple way for your little ones to work on upper extremity strength in their shoulders, wrists, and hands. . . Directions: 1. Cut 3 strips of velcro, about 12 inches each. 2. Securely attach the strips vertically to a vertical surface. We attached them to a section of our tactile sensory board (full post on [...]
Does the Grabber Work on Different Skills than the Y-Chew?
Skill-wise, what would a child gain from using a Baby Grabber vs. a Grabber vs. a Y-Chew? In other words, does the Baby Grabber work on different skills than the Grabber? Does the Grabber work on different skills than the Y-Chew? . Great question. The Baby Grabber is for mouthing, teething, and oral exploration for babies/toddlers up to about [...]
10 Fine Motor Exercises with Putty & Play Dough
Putty, play dough, and other hand manipulatives are classic occupational therapy tools for fine motor work and sensory play. Not only are they fun, but they can also be used to work on a whole host of developmental skills, such as hand strength, finger isolation and dexterity, bilateral coordination, imaginative play, and much more. Here [...]
Assisting Lip Closure
Just like its namesake, lip closure (also known as lip seal) is the ability to close one's lips. It's important for several different speech/feeding/oral motor skills: . . • Being able to close one's lips around a straw, spoon, a piece of food, etc. • Being able to pronounce the speech sounds /p/, /b/, and /m/ • Being able to [...]
DIY "Birthday Cake" Fine Motor Activity
The best therapy exercises are the ones where the child doesn't know it's an exercise, which is why every pediatric speech and occupational therapist's "bag of tricks" is mostly full of toys and games and other fun activities. Play dough is one of these staple activities. There are endless possibilities of what you can do with it, [...]
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