Oral Sensitivities and Low Tone in Children with Down Syndrome
Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 11th Dec 2013
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!
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Dear New Mom, although each child is different, there are several goals that I usually work on:
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ORAL SENSITIVITIES
In my
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Fun, Edible Oral Motor Exercises for Kids
Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 16th Oct 2013
Incorporating yummy treats into your oral motor therapy sessions is a great way to spark interest and increase attention. As long as there are no food allergies, the following goodies will sweeten your efforts to improve tongue elevation, tongue lateralization, oral awareness, lip closure, tongue strength, and much more.
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LOLLIPOPS
Most brands will do, but Dum Dums are my favo
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Tongue Pop Oral Motor Exercises
Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 10th Sep 2013
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).
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The ability to orally manage food requires a lot more skill than most people realize. Try tak
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Improving Jaw Strength & Stability
Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 22nd Aug 2013
The tongue is connected to the jaw, so wherever the jaw goes, the tongue follows. Speech sounds are properly articulated when the jaw and tongue are at midline and symmetrical. So if the jaw and tongue slide left or right as you talk, it can cause a lateral lisp and unclear/slushy speech.
Having control over your jaw is also important for
biting and chewing skills, for holding your jaw in
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