Tuesday Tidbit: Helpful Oral Motor Sites & Articles
Recently a multiple office team meeting offered the chance for the occupational therapy practitioners from each office to get together and share ideas and strategies. One of the OTs who has been practicing for quite a while shared with us that she does not do any "yuck" oral motor therapy nor did she do any feeding/eating therapy either. I was quite surprised as I enjoy doing oral motor and feeding therapy. It is one of the areas that I look for classes in and search out any and all articles and strategies that will help me with the families I work with. I have come to find out after asking some other OT's that this is not an uncommon feeling. There are not many OTs who like doing oral motor or feeding therapy and the common theme seemed to be that it was more because they were not knowledgeable in the strategies as well as they would like to be.
There are not a great deal of classes during college offered for OT/COTAs nor are there many seminars offered either. There are a few books written that I have found very helpful. "Just Take a Bite. Easy, Effective Answers to Food Aversions and Eating Challenges" by Lori Ernsperger, Ph.D and Tania Stegen-Hanson, OTR/L is one book that I have found very helpful. Another book is "Feeding and Nutrition for the Child with Special Needs" by Marsha Dunn Klein, M.Ed., OTR/l & Tracy A. Delaney, Ph.D., RD. Both of these books offer good strategies and helpful hints to help with oral motor and feeding issues in children.
Another good site to go to is the "Talk Tools" article site where you can find numerous articles on oral motor and feeding issues, along with strategies to help.
Does anyone else have any good oral motor and/or feeding sites or articles that they have found helpful that they would like to share? I'd love to hear from you.