Snapshots - Oral Motor Suggestions from the OTs
Does your child stuff food in their mouth and eat quickly?
Have you ever wondered how you can help strengthen mouth muscles and increase oral motor movements needed for eating and speaking?
We’ve got you covered!
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Drink through a straw.
Drinking from a straw requires a lot of oral motor work: the cheeks tighten, the tongue tightens and retracts, and the lips purse.
Chew gum
Consider a chewy necklace for oral-motor stimulation
Use a mirror while eating and/or to self-check whether or not mouths/cheeks are stuffed or empty
Encourage pacing, i.e. chew food at least 5-10 times.
Have an activity available that your child can engage in between bites.
Also encourage drinking between bites.
Wake up the mouth before the meal, intermittently during the meal, and after the meal with foods that are spicy, crunchy, cold, or carbonated.
These 4 sensory inputs can help a child become more aware of the mouth and organize oral movement more effectively.
Cold carbonated mineral water can be sipped between mouthfuls. Add lemon to the mineral water for extra sensory input if your child will accept it. Add ice to other liquids.
Chew on soft, crunch-able ice before and during the meal.
This alerts the mouth, but simultaneously reduces discomfort from oral sensory defensiveness.
This blog post contributed by Caitlin McConnell, MS, OTR/L
