ARK's Blog

Tongue lateralization is the ability to move the tongue from side to side inside the mouth.  It's an important skill for feeding therapy and development, as the tongue lateralizes in order to manipulate food to be chewed and formed into a ball (or bolus) before swallowing.  It's also how we go "fishing" for leftover food particles in the cheeks, around the gums and teeth, and on th …

Question:  I have a 12 day old infant with diagnosed Down Syndrome. She has moderate tongue protrusion. A friend suggested your products.  I was wondering which ones you recommend and any suggestions you might have?  Thank you for your help with this! . .  Dear New Mom, although each child is different, there are several goals that I usually work on: . ORAL SENSITIVITIES In my …

Tongue pops are my faaaavorite oral motor exercise.  They're a fun and easy way to work on tongue placement, oral tone, tongue tip elevation and control, plus tongue and jaw dissociation (skills that are necessary for proper speech, feeding, and oral motor development). . . The ability to orally manage food requires a lot more skill than most people realize.  Try tak …

Question: My 2.5 year old daughter has down syndrome. She has had feeding issues since birth and we are trying to work with her on chewing.  She will bite and chew crackers and other hard foods, but will swallow soft things whole. We are working with a speech therapist as well as an occupational therapist, but they do not have a lot of experience with the grabbers, and other bite tool …