Oral Motor Ideas Oral motor exercises are important for increasing muscle

AUTISTIC CONJECTURE OF THE DAY:
Oral Motor Ideas

Oral motor exercises are important for increasing muscle tone / muscle strength so speech is possible. Even for children that already talk – these are great ideas for improving speech clarity.

These exercises are intended to give your child a variety or oral motor experiences in an enjoyable way.

1) BLOWING

- dandelions that have gone to seed

- cotton, dry cornmeal or feathers across the table

- kleenex in the air

- bubbles from bubble wand, or in the bath, from palm of hand

- whistles

- straws: blows inmilk to make froth and bubbles

- on a winter day, blow on a frosty pane

2) CHEWING AND JAW STRENGTH

- licorice: can pull on it as child clenches (playful pull)

- jerky: make teeth marks on jerky

- fruit roll-ups or fruit chews

- show how to put directly on top of molars

- taffy

3) LICKING

- popsicles

- suckers

- ice cream cones

- lick out bowl, (never mind etiquette)

- lick off something sticky from top lip, bottom lip or corners of mouth

- pretend to be like a kitty, licking paws

4) TONGUE SOUNDS

- imitate rhythm

- clicking

- la la la to music

- blow "raspberry" with tongue

5) TONGUE MOVEMENT

- move food from one cheek to other, using tongue; you show child in an exaggerated way how to do this

- move tongue to touch corners of mouth

- clear food from cheek with tongue like chipmunk

- balance Cherrio like cereal (Gorilla munch is GF CF!) or small food on tongue; then bring balanced food in and out of mouth

6) LIPS

- hold Cherrio like cereal (Gorilla munch is GF CF!) in lips like whistle "puckering lips"

- tight seal to say "Mmmmmm"

- tight seal around straw

- tight seal to hold paper between lips; play tug of war

- humming

- kazoo or whistle with lips formed around

7) SUCKING

- straws with thick milkshake or nectar to strengthen suck

- practice sound as you pretend to feed a doll (tongue on top of mouth w/ pressure)

Compiled by the staff of Columbia Rose Pediatric Feeding Center