Oral Motor Therapy & Chewing Items

Oral Motor Therapy is a type of therapeutic intervention designed to facilitate the development of specific motor skills required for speech sound production, chewing and swallowing. Basically, oral motor therapy exercises the muscles in a person’s mouth, lips and jaw. These techniques and exercises assist in increasing oral muscle control, strength, tone and articulatory precision. Oral motor therapy is widely used by speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists to treat various oral-muscular impairments. Ideally the exercises should be fun and practiced daily.

Oral Motor Exercises Note: Before trying any therapy always consult with you therapist!

Blowing Bubbles, a harmonica or whistle can help improve a child's motor planning skills and achieve an appropriate lip seal.

Blow a kazoo. The kazoo is helpful for breath and vocal control because one must hum to create sound with a kazoo.

Using a Straw is helpful exercise for lips.

Use a toothbrush to brush the upper and lower lips. You can use toothbrushes with different levels of stiffness.

Licking Ice Cream, practice using the tongue to lick dripping ice cream.

Apply Peanut Butter, Frosting, Marshmallow cream or syrup on the upper lip and use the tongue to reach from side-to-side to lick it off.

Handheld Massagers such as a Jiggler or Z-Vibe. The vibration offers stimulation on the oral muscles to help increase awareness.

Chewy tubes offer great ways to strengthen a child's bite and chew.

Electric Toothbrush provides stimulation and the sensory feedback a child may need.