ARK's Blog

Rhythmic chewing is one component of a mature chewing pattern.  There's a tempo to the way we chew - it's not sporadic;  we don't chew fast then slow then fast again.  We chew to a silent yet steady beat in order to properly break down food. . .  In the video below, however, this young man has a very sporadic chewing pattern.  In fact, he'll …

Feeding therapy tip: if a child won't eat with a spoon, use whatever he/she WILL accept. In this feeding session, for instance, the child's favorite spoon was at home and he didn't like any of the other spoons I had.  So, I tried a twizzler and voila!  He ate the entire container of food.  . . You can also try dipping a Grabber, Y-Chew, or ARK Probe into whatever the c …

Having a child with feeding issues is one of the hardest problems to handle both for therapists and parents, and it's stressful for the child as well.  Our lives often revolve around food!  And so does healthy growth and development.  I commend you for looking for more information on this topic and hope that you find this post helpful.  So, take a deep breath and let’s roll …

I recently completed a Clinical Swallow Evaluation and today a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study of a 10 yr old boy's swallow (both revealed a safe swallow that is within normal limits) and observed that his is not an age-appropriate chew pattern.  He engages in a Nonstereotypic Vertical Movement during mastication.  As a result, oral prep phase is significantly extended and his mother …