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Tag: CHEWING SKILLS

Bite Tubes 101: How TalkTools Bite Tube Supports Jaw Stability, Safer Chewing, and Speech Clarity

If you’re working with clients who chew on their tongue or clothing, show open-mouth posture, or fatigue during chewing, TalkTools® Bite Tubes can be a game-changer. These therapist-designed tools provide targeted temporomandibular joint (TMJ) input and graded jaw work to support safer chewing and clearer speech patterns. In “Ask a Therapist,” TalkTools clinicians explain that […]

October 14, 2025 jayne General Comments (0) Details
Tags: ASK A THERAPIST, BITE BLOCKS, BITE TUBE HIERARCHY, caregiver education, CHEWING SKILLS, co-articulation, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDING THERAPY, home exercise program, jaw exercises, jaw grading, JAW STABILITY, masseter activation, mastication, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, OPT, oral cancer recovery, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, Oral Placement Therapy, ORAL SENSORY INPUT, PEDIATRIC FEEDING, sensory seeking, SLP, SPECIAL NEEDS, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH THERAPY, TALKTOOLS, TalkTools Bite Tubes, TalkTools blog, TMJ STIMULATION, TRISMUS

4.6 YEARS: ENJOYING NEW FOODS

March has been an exciting month for Belle! We traveled to the beach to visit family and enjoyed some fun in the sun. She enjoys the plane rides and new restaurants and new foods like calamari and key lime pie. In our video this month, Belle shows off her gum chewing skills. She has improved […]

April 10, 2017 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: BLENDED SOUNDS, CHEWING SKILLS, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDING THERAPY, GUM CHEWING, MONICA PURDY, OPT, ORAL MOTORORAL MOTOR PROGRAM, Oral Placement Therapy

4 YEARS 2&3 MONTHS: COMMUNICATION GRANTS BELLE THE INDEPENDENCE SHE DESIRES

4 Years 2 Months Belle is doing well despite our crazy busy schedule and lack of consistency with her oral motor exercises.  She is not regressing in any way, but I can’t say that I have seen significant gains in her speech clarity this month.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, right?  Her congestion has returned in full […]

December 26, 2016 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE BEETSMA, ANNABELLE UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, ARTICULATION, CHEWING EXERCISES, CHEWING SKILLS, CHRISTMASCOMMUNICATION SKILLS, DOWN SYNDROME, FIRST SLEEPOVER, FOUR YEAR OLD, GUM CHEWING, GUM EXERCISES, NSOMEORAL MOTOR EXERCISES, Oral Placement Therapy, SPEECH CLARITY, SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, SPEECH THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY AT HOMESPEECH THERAPY EXERCISES, SPEECH THERAPY VIDEO, TALKTOOLS CLIENT, TALKTOOLS EXERCISES, TALKTOOLS PROGRAM, TALKTOOLS THERAPYTODDLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TODDLERHOOD

Ask A Therapist: Strong Gag Reflex

Tervehdys!   I am speech pathologist from Finland, took your class about Feeding Therapy: a sensory-motor approach at Helsinki last May. I am sending you an e-mail, because I met a new client shortly after the class and this case really bothers me. I have asked permission from parents, to send this e-mail and pictures/short video when […]

October 8, 2014 administrator Ask A Therapist Comments (0) Details
Tags: ASK A THERAPIST, CHEWING SKILLS, FEEDING, FEEDING THERAPY, GAG REFLEX, GAGGING, LORI OVERLAND, MASTICATIONORAL MOTOR THERAPY, ORAL PLACEMENT, Oral Placement Therapy, ORAL-MOTOR, POSTERIOR TONGUE TIE, talk tools, TALKTOOLS

9 MONTHS: LEARNING TO CHOMP, CHEW & SWALLOW

As Belle gets to be 9 months old, we are seeing progress in her therapy. She is getting more accustomed to her Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) and has even tried to help during the chomping exercises. She still fights me just a little, but we get right back on track and continue right along. She […]

May 30, 2014 administrator Annabelle's Progress Comments (0) Details
Tags: ANNABELLE'S MONTHLY UPDATES, ANNABELLE'S PROGRESS, CHEWING HIERARCHY, CHEWING SKILLS, DOWN SYNDROME, FEEDINGFEEDING THERAPY, OPT, ORAL MOTOR THERAPY, ORAL PLACEMENT, Oral Placement Therapy, ORAL-MOTOR, SWALLOWING, TALKTOOLSTONGUE THRUST

Ask a Therapist: Considerations for Altering Diets

Hi Ms. Lori Overland, I am an Occupational Therapist from Chicago. However, I am now working in Australia as an OT. I have always been interested in setting up a feeding program here and therefore began viewing your course. I just love how you integrate a child’s individual sensory needs into their personal feeding program! I […]

June 18, 2013 administrator Ask A Therapist Comments (0) Details
Tags: ASK A THERAPIST, AUTISM, BLAND FOOD, CHEWING SKILLS, DIET, FEEDING COURSE, FEEDING THERAPY, FEEDING VIDEO, HYPERSENSITIVITYLORI OVERLAND, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, ORAL MOTOR SKILLS, Oral Placement Therapy, OT, PICKY EATINGPRE-FEEDING, PRE-FEEDING PROGRAM, ROTARY CHEW, SENSORY DISORDER, SENSORY FEEDING, SENSORY INPUT, TACTILE DEFENSIVENESSTONGUE LATERALIZATION

Ask A Therapist: Biting through Chew Tools

My 5-year-old son has Down syndrome and chews on grabbers (purple and green Ps). He chews and bites so hard that he bites through the tubes. Any recommendations? He only eats pureed food, bananas, and Cheerios. He can chew chicken but doesn’t want to. Thanks,Susan It sounds like your son likes the sensory information he […]

October 8, 2012 administrator Ask A Therapist Comments (0) Details
Tags: ASK A THERAPIST, BITE TUBE HIERARCHY, BITE TUBE SET, CHEWING, CHEWING SKILLS, DOWN SYNDROMEFEEDING, GRABBER COMBO, GRABBERS, GREEN GRABBER, PREFEEDING, PURPLE GRABBER, SENSORY INPUT