You can read more information on the Bite-n-Chew and Textured Bite-n-Chew XL in my post about the jaw. The hard and soft spoons are helpful in transitioning infants to textured foods. I will be describing a “wake-up” routine using the first, four tips in the list above: Preefer, Probe, Mini, and Hard Fine. This kit includes the following tips for the Z-Vibe: While you can only use one tip at a time, there are over 35 different ones that you can twist and secure on the Z-Vibe. In other words, it helps “wake-up” the mouth before feeding and/or speech practice. This single probe tip instrument provides intense vibration input to support stimulation, improving awareness, and exploration. For more information on the Z-Grabber, please see my post on jaw work. You can purchase this instrument alone or as part of a grabber in the form of the Z-Grabber. One tool that I have used over the last two decades in private practice is the Z-Vibe by Ark Therapeutic. Oral awareness through “wake-up” practice helps children feel the boundaries in and around their mouths. As a result, these children do not comprehend an auditory (verbal) direction to “Lift the tongue up and make the /d, t, n/ sound,” even when you show them how it is done. Without this knowledge, he may not be able to perform tasks like putting lips together, moving the tongue, or chewing. Oral Awarenessīefore a child can develop sequenced movements for speech, he needs to be able to feel and attend to the structures of his mouth. Comprehensive assessments support appropriate treatment planning and identify other medical, contributing factors like hearing loss or tongue tie that may need intervention prior to initiating speech-language therapy. I do not advocate purchasing or implementing oral motor products unless a speech pathologist has recommended these specifically. Years ago, I connected with Ark and they graciously gifted me several products to try with clients on my caseload. This post intends to support parents/ caregivers in using oral motor tools sold through Ark Therapeutic during a “wake-up” routine to prepare the mouth for feeding and/or speech. Developing a new speech movement takes time, successful practice, supports, and extinction of inaccurate movements. Adding tactile learning can be an essential piece in the puzzle for children who need to feel more information in and around their mouths before producing a sound. We know that making these movements brings them one step closer to pairing sounds with those motions. Sometimes, children need a little more than auditory and visual cues to make sequenced movements for speech. “Speech is movement made audible…, oral-motor therapy, as it is practiced today, can be defined as the process of facilitating improved oral (jaw, lip, tongue) movements.” Oral-Motor Techniques in Articulation & Phonological Therapy by Pam Marshalla, M.A., CCC-SLP
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