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Why Does My Older Child Chew on Everything?

Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 29th Nov 2015

Question:  My 9 year old chews on everything... erasers, foam rubber, shirt collars.    He has always had an oral fixation since he was a toddler, putting toys in his mouth and chewing on everything in sight.  Is this something more than typical childhood behavior?  I've read on some discussion boards that your "Grabbers" are often used by other kids with the same …
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The Right and Wrong Way to Spoon Feed

Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 22nd Nov 2015

Did you know that there is a right and wrong way to spoon feed?  The wrong spoon feeding procedure involves lifting your hand upward as you remove the spoon from the child’s mouth.  This method scrapes the spoon against the teeth, gums, and/or upper lip to get food off of the spoon. . . Scraping is not the normal, natural way to feed.  And specifically for children with o …
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Why Do Babies Put Everything in Their Mouths?

Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 7th Oct 2015

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 of taste. •   It provides a “work …
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Training the Oral Musculature with Lip Bloks

Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 5th Sep 2015

Question:  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 bear bottle for her to use.  She does great with the blue lip …
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