Oral Motor Exercises for Children 3+: Solving Eating Problems & Speech Production
Jun 20, 2000 - © Schatze Rasmussen
Oral motor exercises are occasionally necessary to improve weak articulators or muscles in the mouth and face for speech production. These muscles sometimes need strengthening, or need to have better coordination or range of motion.
Improving these muscles can help a child make speech sounds better as well as help with the eating/feeding/swallowing problems some children have difficulty with. The activities below are for children ages 3 and up, to help improve their oral motor skills.
Exercizes to Improve Oral Motor Skills
1. Blowing bubbles. This works the muscles that make our lips round like for the /w/ sound. It also improves breath control.
2. Licking peanut butter or marshmallow crème with the tongue only (no fingers) after a glob of it has been placed on the roof of the mouth or behind the top front teeth. This works on tongue elevation/lifting, and if you put it over in one cheek it works to help lateralize the tongue (move it sideways).
3. Put cheerios or apple jacks on the table and have the child “spear” one with his tongue. No hands or lips can be used. The child has to learn to aim and protrude the tongue past the lips.
4. Roll little round lollipops around the mouth, back and forth from in one cheek to inside the other using only the tongue. The sucker should be visible pushing against the cheek if they do it successfully. Also works on lateralization and coordination of tongue movements.
5. Rub syrup, frosting, or peanut butter on outside of lips (red/pink part) so child must lick lips with tongue to clean them off. No hands for this either.
6. Lick ice cream as it drips down the side of the cone on a hot day. Can’t use lips- tongue only.
7. Pretend to make faces at one another while you look in the mirror. Make the silliest ones you want.
If your child has been tested and could benefit from oral motor therapy, these are a lot of fun and a way to get the family involved too. If your child has feeding/swallowing /eating difficulties do not try this unless approved by your therapist.
The copyright of the article Oral Motor Exercises for Children 3+: Solving Eating Problems & Speech Production in Speech Disorders is owned by Schatze Rasmussen. Permission to republish Oral Motor Exercises for Children 3+: Solving Eating Problems & Speech Production in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Monday, April 5, 2010
Developing Gross-Motor Skills
ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP GROSS MOTOR SKILLS:
1. Play with a large ball. Encourage your child to kick the ball, using one foot and then the other. Then throw and catch it too.
2. Encourage your child to ride a bike, a push bike or pedal bike with or without side-wheels, according to your child’s ability.
3. Play “Simon says - do this.” Say those words and do an action that your child must copy. When you say “Simon says do that” she must NOT do the action.
4. To teach your child spatial relations. Ask her to stand in front of a chair, behind a chair, next to the chair, on top of the chair and crouch under the chair.
5. To develop her sense of laterality, let your child kneel on the floor, then instruct her in turn to lift her left hand, lift her right leg etc.
6. Tell your child that she must be your shadow and mimic all your actions as your walk about and perform simple actions.
7. Learn action songs and perform the actions as you sing them.
8. Ask your child to imitate the movement of different animals: creep like a snake, waddle like a duck, hop like a rabbit etc.
9. Encourage her to balance first on one leg, then on the other for as long as possible.
10. Ask your child to gallop like a horse.
Read the whole article from:
http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/gross-motor-skills.html
1. Play with a large ball. Encourage your child to kick the ball, using one foot and then the other. Then throw and catch it too.
2. Encourage your child to ride a bike, a push bike or pedal bike with or without side-wheels, according to your child’s ability.
3. Play “Simon says - do this.” Say those words and do an action that your child must copy. When you say “Simon says do that” she must NOT do the action.
4. To teach your child spatial relations. Ask her to stand in front of a chair, behind a chair, next to the chair, on top of the chair and crouch under the chair.
5. To develop her sense of laterality, let your child kneel on the floor, then instruct her in turn to lift her left hand, lift her right leg etc.
6. Tell your child that she must be your shadow and mimic all your actions as your walk about and perform simple actions.
7. Learn action songs and perform the actions as you sing them.
8. Ask your child to imitate the movement of different animals: creep like a snake, waddle like a duck, hop like a rabbit etc.
9. Encourage her to balance first on one leg, then on the other for as long as possible.
10. Ask your child to gallop like a horse.
Read the whole article from:
http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/gross-motor-skills.html
Developing Fine-Motor Skills
The building of fine motor skills in children will enable them to perform a variety of important functional tasks. These include:
· tying shoes
· zipping and unzipping
· buckling and unbuckling
· writing legibly and without significant muscle fatigue
· playing games that require precise hand and finger control
· drawing, painting, and coloring
· manipulating buttons and snaps
· putting small objects together
· doing puzzles
· making crafts
· using scissors
· manipulating small objects such as coins
· opening and closing objects
· picking up and holding onto small objects
· developing and maintaining an effective and proper pencil grip
· pinching objects between fingers
· using locks and keys
· being able to isolate finger movements
...(i.e., using one finger at a time, such as in playing the piano)
· turning things over or turning pages of a book
· holding and using utensils properly and effectively
· screwing and unscrewing
Read the whole article from:
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/fine-motor-skills-activities-for-children.html
Developing Visual-Motor Skills
by Nancy B. Lewis, O.D.
Visual-motor development implies much more than handwriting. Children need to be able to use their hands and eyes as paired tools. Following are some activities that develop visual-motor skills. Remember, developmental age is more important than chronological age; a child is as old as he/she acts.
Primary School (4-8)
This is a crucial age when the larger body is becoming stronger, and children learn how to use incrementally smaller parts. The ultimate goal is for the eyes to move independently of the head and for the fingers and joints of the hand to move without the shoulder and upper arm. Most four year olds are still most comfortable standing up and drawing at an easel. Some have adequate control and can sit and write with chunky markers. Erasable boards on the wall are good transitions from easels to tables.
Primary children love playing flashlight games. Name an object in the room and see who can shine the beam on it first. Older children can chase a beam with their flashlights. Take turns leading and chasing.
Geoboards encourage visual motor development. A geoboard is a square piece of wood with nails evenly spaced in rows and columns. Four inches square is a good size. Make patterns by stretching rubber bands over the nails. Have the child copy designs. Use one or two bands for younger children and increase the complexity for older ones.
Elementary School (9-13)
By this age, children have good manual dexterity and are able to use their eyes to give meaning to what they see. Refining these skills allows them automatically to learn how to write cursive script. By now, it is imperative that the left-to-right and up-down progressions are fully intact. Using carpentry tools and cooking and sewing materials for short, simple projects is appealing to this age.
Games such as Chinese Checkers and Othello encourage visual-motor and visual-spatial development. Complex arts and crafts projects are popular. Putting together models, making jewelry, knitting and other crafts all encourage good eye-hand coordination.
read the whole article from:
http://www.devdelay.org/newsletter/articles/html/75-developing-visual-motor-skills.html
Sunday, April 4, 2010
CARD l Lesson Areas and Sample Targeted Skills for Individuals 0 - 8
Following the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, we developed a treatment approach for children with autism, up to age eight, that focuses on minimizing challenging behaviors and maximizing skill acquisition. Once new behaviors are mastered, we focus on generalization with the goal of transitioning each child into the mainstream educational system. If necessary, we also provide school shadowing services so children have the support they need in the classroom.
We teach self-help and safety skills, build language and communication, as well as an array of advanced skills such as theory of mind, social skills, and executive functioning. With the input of parents and the child’s caregivers, we set challenging goals for our team and the child and track progress on each skill domain carefully. The chart below gives more details about our curriculum areas.
The program is developed and managed by a highly trained CARD supervisor who tailors the program to each child’s needs. A team of therapists implements the plan and participates in training and team meetings to ensure consistency. The entire treatment team, including all caregivers (mom, dad, grandparents, and siblings) is invited to participate in regular “clinic meetings” designed to review the child’s progress, train on new techniques and add lessons to the program.
For more information about the CARD I program for your child, please contact one of our offices.
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