Strategies to support your child’s oral sensory seeking behaviors:
- Provide chewy or crunchy snacks (fruit leather, jerky, bagels, Laffy Taffy, licorice, pretzels, granola bars, carrots)
- Make a chewy necklace with licorice or Cheerios
- Drink through a water bottle or juice box with a straw
- Suck applesauce, pudding, or yogurt through a straw
- Play games with straws (blow cotton balls through a maze; suck raisins, M & M’s or Smarties at the end of a straw and move as many as possible from point A to point B in 30 seconds, then eat!)
- Play a game of Ping-Pong table hockey (see if your child can blow the ball off his opponent’s side of the table)
- Whistle, blow bubbles, use Blo-Pens and blow toys such as party horns, sound makers, and pinwheels
- Blow up balloons
- Move a piece of food back and forth X number of times prior to swallowing (as your child develops more control, increase the number of times)
- Use an electric toothbrush
- Chew gum
- Purchase products designed for chewing such as Chewlery and Chewy Tubes or chewable pencil toppers
Thank you, Jill Cox-Woodall, MS OTR/L from TheraPLACE Learning Center for contributing some great ideas!
About Skills 4 Life:
Skills 4 Life Pediatric Occupational Therapy offers a broad range of pediatric occupational therapy services to help your child master age-appropriate developmental skills, become more independent, increase academic success & develop confidence. The experts at Skills 4 Life specialize in handwriting, keyboarding & executive function coaching, but also work with children on social & emotional learning, motor skills, self-regulation strategies & activities of daily living. Skills 4 Life Pediatric Occupational Therapy offers your child a safe, compassionate environment to learn the critical skills they need to be successful. Learn more about our team & services at www.skills4lifeot.com, or you can contact our office by email at karina@skills4lifeot.com or by phone at 303.351.1828 for a free consultation.
