Strengthening Mouth Muscles
Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 7th Jul 2011
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?
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Drinking out of a straw (any straw) in general is a great way to help individuals learn how to keep the lips closed, how
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Jaw Grading & Stability
Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 16th Jun 2011
Jaw grading is the ability to visually judge how far you need to open your mouth to take a bite out of certain foods and to say certain speech sounds. For example, say "ooooo" versus "aaahh" - can you feel the height difference in your jaw? It needs to open just a little bit for "eeee," but wider for "oooh." Or, imagine taking a bite out of a thin cracker versus a burger - there's a big difference
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Improving a Weak Suck
Posted by Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP on 3rd Jun 2011
I am looking for suggestions for our 2-year-old son with epilepsy. He currently functions at a 6 month level. He can eat by mouth (only stage 2 or 3 baby foods), but lacks a suck. He can swallow well, but we have to use a syringe to get liquid into his mouth first. I do have the Z-Vibe with the Cat and Mouse Tips, but since his mouth is so tiny, they haven't really helped
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