May 30, 2018Tri-County TherapyBlogautismdistractionsfeeding difficultiesfeeding therapyoccupational therapypediatric therapypicky eatingproblem eaterS.O.Ssensorysensory processingspeech therapy

Drooling After Teething

What if your child is drooling beyond the typical age of teething (around 18 months-2 years)? Many children drool due to oral motor weaknesses or reduced awareness in their mouth. Some common causes of drooling are weak lips or jaw or difficulty keeping good lip closure. Here are some tips to decrease and manage drooling:

Tip #1- Set Your Child Up For Success!

Posture plays an important role by providing stability so that your child can control and ultimately improve his drooling. Make sure that while sitting (to eat, watch TV, play, etc.) your child’s trunk and head are supported and stable.

Tip #2- Increase Sensation

If your child’s lips are constantly open, allowing drool to pool and spill out of his mouth, it may be that he does not even realize it. For some children, calling attention to their open mouth by providing more sensory input can be very helpful. Try tapping/stroking his lips using firm pressure, using vibration (like a z-vibe or vibrating teether), or applying cold (like a frozen teether) to bring awareness of the lips and reduce drooling.

Tip #3: Increase Strength and Control

Increase lip, tongue, and jaw strength so that controlling drool will not feel like such as difficult task for your child. Some good exercises include using a straw to suck up thick liquids (like a milk shake or smoothie), practice licking foods (like peanut butter) off of his lips and squeezing items (like a z-vibe tip) between his lips, making sure to purse the lips without using teeth.

Be sure to talk with your SLP or OT if you are concerned with your child’s drooling, we have many more tools and strategies!

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May 22, 2018Tri-County TherapyBlogautismdistractionsfeeding difficultiesfeeding therapyoccupational therapypediatric therapypicky eatingproblem eaterS.O.Ssensorysensory processingspeech therapy

Oral Defensiveness

If your child hates having his teeth brushed or gags with strong flavors/new textures, he may be experiencing oral defensiveness. For these children, providing oral input to ‘desensitize’ the mouth is key, and can be done by slowly presenting touch, textures, and flavors at a pace that’s right for your child!

Tip #1: Start With Play!

Start with play and allow your child to control the stimulation. Use toys such as teethers, chewy tubes, spoons, or even pretzel rods. You can choose to dip them in food or leave food out of this part, whatever you feel will be most comfortable for your child! Model oral-motor play such as kissing, licking, and biting items in a fun way. For example, play ‘puppy dog’ by holding a chewy tube in your back teeth and allowing your child to tug the tube while you hold it in your teeth. If the child seems willing, let them try to be the puppy! If something seems to cause anxiety, back up and try something easier.

Tip #2: Wake Up, Mouth! 

Providing input such as vibration with a z-vibe, vibrating teether, or vibrating toothbrush can help decrease oral aversion. Before using it in your child’s mouth, you can show him how it feels on his arms or legs. Gently tapping or stroking the cheeks (outside or inside), lips, tongue, and gums can actually calm some children. Be mindful that some children may be very sensitive to strong vibration, and this type of input may not work for all children.

Tip #3: Gradually Introduce Textures

If your child’s oral aversion is more closely related to eating, he may be unwilling to try foods with more texture (such as oatmeal, mashed potatoes, etc.) or strong flavors.  Try making small changes to the foods he already likes. Making gradual changes can help your child accept new foods and decrease oral sensitivity. For example, if your child likes plain applesauce, add a small amount of cinnamon or sprinkle on some graham cracker crumbs, very gradually increasing the amount or adding different flavors!

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May 16, 2018Tri-County TherapyBlogautismdistractionsfeeding difficultiesfeeding therapyoccupational therapypediatric therapypicky eatingproblem eaterS.O.Ssensorysensory processingspeech therapy

Prolonged Mealtimes

Just like many adults, children may not want to sit at the dinner table all evening. Limiting meal times to around 30 minutes is considered the ‘gold standard’ for both children and adults. When meals last more than that, children can often become fatigued, bored, and frustrated. Here are some tips to keep your child’s meal times shorter and more enjoyable!

Tip #1: Use a Timer

Use a timer/timer app. There are a lot of great timers out there that are ‘kid friendly!’ Sometimes kids need a visual reminder of the time allotted for meals. It can also help them learn to pace their own eating, rather than being dependent on parents or guardians.

Tip #2: Increase Chewing Skills

Many kids experience jaw fatigue, possibly due to slightly weak jaw muscles. You can adjust meals by presenting more ‘difficult’ or hard to chew foods first (such as meat, raw vegetables, etc.), then moving onto softer foods and purees. Also, you can strengthen jaw muscles by practicing chewing on a chew tube; place the tube on your child’s back teeth and encourage them to make ‘big dinosaur bites.’ We want to see the tube collapse.

Tip #3: Limit Distractions

Reduce distractions. Having toys at the table, tablets/iPads, or watching television can all reduce your child’s attention to eating. If your child has a difficult time sitting at the table without these things, work up gradually to longer times without those distractions at the table. Instead of resorting to these distracting tactics, try to engage your child in conversation and talk about the food on the table (for example, “what flavors does it have?”, “What color is it?”, “Is it soft or crunchy?”, etc.).

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