ARK's Blog

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 …

This wonderfully informative guest post comes from a dear family friend.  We thank her for sharing her story and hope that others may benefit from her insightful advice. . My daughter Sarah was born with a very wide unilateral (one side) cleft lip and palate.  Feeding became an immediate issue for us as she did not take to the typical bottle for cleft babies, the Haberman feeder …

1.  Change the individual's toothpaste.  It can be a change in flavor or a change in brand.  A different brand may have a different texture, one that is perhaps a little more gritty.  Also, changing the toothbrush to one that is a little harder or softer will get a different texture inside the mouth. 2.   Massage the gums with a clean finger.  This adds sensory …

My daughter's speech therapist suggested we have my daughter sip thick liquids (i.e. yogurt, chocolate pudding, etc.) through a straw to work on strengthening mouth muscles.  I have not been able to find straws thick enough to work.  Do you have a suggestion? . Drinking out of a straw (any straw) in general is a great way to help individuals learn how to keep the lips closed, how …