oral motor Archives - Therapy Fun Zone https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/category/ot/oral-motor/ Where Play is FUNctional Thu, 04 Jul 2024 16:09:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/cropped-tfz-icon-copy-copy-32x32.png oral motor Archives - Therapy Fun Zone https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/category/ot/oral-motor/ 32 32 When Kids Chew on Pencils https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/when-kids-chew-on-pencils/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/when-kids-chew-on-pencils/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2015 23:08:17 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=9070 This post may contain affiliate links.Many kids have a tendency to chew on pencils, and it is not usually a problem (sometimes just gross), but when the chewing becomes extreme, it can become a problem.  In cases that become problematic, you can try to have the student replace the chewing behavior by giving them something...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/when-kids-chew-on-pencils/feed/ 1 Sensory Painting with Pasta and Edible Paint https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/sensory-painting-pasta-edible-paint/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/sensory-painting-pasta-edible-paint/#respond Mon, 15 Sep 2014 08:00:32 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=8052 This post may contain affiliate links.When working with a sensory group with food aversions, I needed to make the activities fun as well as give exposure to some of the sensations that go along with food.  I wanted to have the food textures, smells and tastes available while making the activity about creating and not...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/sensory-painting-pasta-edible-paint/feed/ 0 The WOW Cup is Really Cool https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/the-wow-cup-is-really-cool/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/the-wow-cup-is-really-cool/#respond Mon, 12 May 2014 08:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=7279 This post may contain affiliate links.You see infomercials, and can’t believe all of the claims they have, so when I saw the WOW cup, I got it to test it out and see if it really did work. I have to say, the Wow Cup works, and it is really cool. It does not spill...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/the-wow-cup-is-really-cool/feed/ 0 Honey Bear Cup https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/honey-bear-cup/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/honey-bear-cup/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2014 08:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=7184 This post may contain affiliate links.In some therapy circles, the honey bear is an obvious adaptation that is used to help kids learn to drink from a straw. I was unaware of this great use of a honey bear for many many years, and it was kind of a “duh” moment when I learned about...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/honey-bear-cup/feed/ 1 Attaching a Chewy https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/attaching-a-chewy/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/attaching-a-chewy/#comments Mon, 27 Jan 2014 09:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=6878 This post may contain affiliate links.Many kids benefit from using a chewy as a calming activity, and to use as a replacement for chewing on things that are not good to chew on. So if a child needs a chewy, they need to have it available to them. For kids who are lower functioning, they...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/attaching-a-chewy/feed/ 1 The right bite feeding therapy tool https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/the-right-bite-feeding-therapy-tool/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/the-right-bite-feeding-therapy-tool/#respond Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=3874 This post may contain affiliate links.How many kids do you work with that try to stuff a whole huge cracker into their mouth?  How many times have you been bitten when working on taking bites of food (never for me, but I have been bitten doing other oral motor activities).  Ark has just introduced a...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/the-right-bite-feeding-therapy-tool/feed/ 0 Mixing straw drinking fun with fine motor fun https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/mixing-straw-drinking-fun-with-fine-motor-fun/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/mixing-straw-drinking-fun-with-fine-motor-fun/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=3423 This post may contain affiliate links.How could you get any more OT than mixing an oral motor, ADL, and fine motor activity into one.  I found these build your own straws called Pipeline at Bed Bath and Beyond, and just had to try them.  They seem to be the same thing as the Strawz that...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/mixing-straw-drinking-fun-with-fine-motor-fun/feed/ 4 Having fun with straw drinking https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/having-fun-with-straw-drinking/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/having-fun-with-straw-drinking/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=3415 This post may contain affiliate links.Drinking from a straw can be a challenge for some kids, and it can be a scary thing for those who don’t know what to do or expect.  An OT friend of mine named Sharon mentioned that she and the kids love to use the Got Milk Magic Flavored Straws...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/having-fun-with-straw-drinking/feed/ 1 Oral Sensory Seeking and Vibration https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/oral-sensory-seeking-and-vibration/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/oral-sensory-seeking-and-vibration/#respond Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/2011/09/oral-sensory-seeking-and-vibration/ This post may contain affiliate links.Most of the kids that I work with that have oral sensory problems avoid oral stimulation, and avoid food. I just started seeing a young fellow that is the opposite of what I am used to. This little guy is a sensory seeker, and he seeks oral sensation. He chews...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/oral-sensory-seeking-and-vibration/feed/ 0 Vibration For Oral Motor Stimulation https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/vibration-for-oral-motor-stimulation/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/vibration-for-oral-motor-stimulation/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/2011/09/vibration-for-oral-motor-stimulation/ This post may contain affiliate links.I am seeing a little girl who enjoys eating, but she does not yet move her tongue to the side (tongue lateralization) in order to move her food around in her mouth. I will often use vibration in the mouth to stimulate more tongue and cheek movement. Sometimes I will...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/vibration-for-oral-motor-stimulation/feed/ 1 Why bouncing is good for eating skills https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/why-bouncing-is-good-for-eating-skills/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/why-bouncing-is-good-for-eating-skills/#comments Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/2010/09/why-bouncing-is-good-for-eating-skills/ This post may contain affiliate links.When talking about oral-motor skills and eating, you don’t usually think immediately of bouncing on a ball as a treatment technique. Well, think again. Bouncing on a large therapy ball, either supported or unsupported, stimulates muscle co-contractions. These muscle contractions are all over the body to achieve stability while bouncing,...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/why-bouncing-is-good-for-eating-skills/feed/ 2 Chewy Tubes https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/chewy-tubes/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/chewy-tubes/#respond Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/2010/08/chewy-tubes/ This post may contain affiliate links.Chewy tubes are the perfect shape and texture for practicing chewing and working on decreasing oral hypersensitivity. The long skinny shape is able to go back to the molar area in the mouth. A lot of baby toys are able to be gnawed on at the front of the mouth,...

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/chewy-tubes/feed/ 0 Quick Tip: Oral desensitization https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/quick-tip-oral-desensitization/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/quick-tip-oral-desensitization/#respond Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:00:09 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?p=676 This post may contain affiliate links.Rubbing the outside of the gums is really important when treating oral hypersensitivity.  It can be the difference between success and failure in your treatment.  (see more in oral desensitization home program).

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]]> https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/quick-tip-oral-desensitization/feed/ 0 Gag reflex or not? https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/gag-reflex-or-not/ https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/gag-reflex-or-not/#respond Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:42:00 +0000 http://therapyfunzone.net/blog/2010/04/gag-reflex-or-not/ This post may contain affiliate links.I have done many evaluations for feeding and oral motor skills where I am called in because the child is gagging on solid food.  Many times this is the case, and we have to work on desensitizing to lumpy food, and work on oral motor skills so that they can move...

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