ARK's Blog

Question:  I am working with a 2-year-old with CP.  I cannot get him to take consecutive bites of food.  He takes one bite and lets it sit in his mouth until it dissolves, then swallows it.  I have to prompt him to open his mouth and take another bite.  I am using the Z-Vibe on sides of mouth, he will bite one time, then I have to prompt him to open mouth. Any ideas? &n …

Gum massage is a simple yet effective way to provide oral stimulation to a large surface area within the mouth.  This tactile input can: •  help decrease oral aversions for hypersensitive individuals  •  help increase oral awareness for hyposensitive individuals  •  help decrease drooling, mouth stuffing, and/or the need the chew •  be very cal …

Question:  Do you have a tool to increase tongue protrusion and tongue lateralization? We do!  ARK's  Oro-Navigator was specifically created to help individuals "get" the concept of tongue lateralization.  It's very easy to use.  Simply place the cuff on the side of the tongue and guide the tongue from one side of the mouth to the opposite side.  Th …

As a speech therapist, I don't recommend sippy cups since many of them promote a tongue thrust and improper oral positioning, which can negatively affect a child's speech and feeding development.  So ideally, particularly for those with developmental delays, it would be best to transition them straight to cup or straw drinking.  However, I do understand their convenience, so  …