Expert tips
Compiled here are tips, strategies, and exercises that I have found effective with the children. Please note that the information here is by no means all-inclusive, nor should it be considered a substitute for an in-person evaluation with a speech therapist, occupational therapist, and/or other professionals. Each child is unique and treatment must be catered to their specific needs accordingly. But it is our sincere hope that you find some of this information useful towards that end.
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| Food Refusal - Is It Oral Motor or Sensory Related? Feeding therapy usually involves sensory and/or oral motor issues. Click to learn more about each. |
How to Teach Biting & Chewing Skills Steps for beginners: working on the vocabulary and first steps behind biting and chewing. |
Oral Defensiveness & Food Aversions Oral sensitivities fall into two main categories: too much or not enough sensation in the mouth. |
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| How to Develop a Rotary Chewing Pattern Getting to a mature, circular chewing pattern to properly break down and manipulate food. |
Feeding Therapy Tips & Strategies A must-read covering everything from pre-feeding tips to food presentation to feeding techniques & more. |
Sensory & Oral Motor Tips for Down syndrome How to work on low tone, oral sensitivities, global sensitivities, a weak suck, and tongue protrusion. |
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| The Right & Wrong Way to Spoon Feed Spoon feeding the "wrong" way is a missed opportunity. This article explains why, including a great demo video. |
Practicing a Rhythmic Chewing Pattern Rhythmic chewing is one component of a mature chewing pattern. There's a tempo to the way we chew. |
Make straw drinking easier! ARK's Bear Bottle Kit is a fun and friendly way to make drinking easier for beginners and/or children with oral motor difficulties |