ARK's Blog

School’s almost out - we can feel the summer sun, smell the fresh air, and almost hear yearbook committees everywhere assigning superlatives to their classmates. Our chew tools have been hard at work all year serving your sensory needs - so we thought we’d have some fun and assign some superlatives to them as well! Without further ado, ARK’s Chewy Superlatives: . . Most Likely t …

You've already tried everything. Bitter-tasting nail polish. Sitting on your hands. Activities to keep your hands busy. Sheer willpower and a running internal monologue of stop, stop, stop. If you're reading this (whether for yourself or for your child) you've probably tried some combination of the above and it hasn't stuck. Maybe it worked for a few days. Maybe it works until the bitter polish we …

Oral motor therapy works on the physical skills of the mouth - the lips, tongue, jaw, and cheeks - that are needed for eating, drinking, and speech. That's really the core of it. Those four structures have to work together with a surprising amount of precision. Eating a cracker, drinking through a straw, saying the word "elephant", etc. all require specific movements, strength, and coordination fr …

It's Not a Bad Habit - It's a Need If your child has ever come home from school with soaked collars or sleeves or holes in their shirts, you're not alone. Chewing on clothing is one of the most common concerns we hear from parents, and we completely understand the frustration that comes with it. Shirts get ruined. The sleeves stretch out. And at some point, you start wondering: is this normal? Sho …