Watch any of the good baseball pitchers, and also you’ll typically see them chewing sunflower seeds or a wad of bubblegum of their mouth. Or how about soccer gamers that chew on their mouthguards between performs. These athletes are utilizing oral motor abilities as a part of their success repertoire. Research research have reported the optimistic results of chewing gum on cognitive abilities, together with alertness, consideration, processing pace, and reminiscence.1
Oral motor abilities confer with the use and performance of the muscular tissues of the face, together with the tongue, lips, and jaw. Many youngsters with particular wants want further apply and enter on this space. Oral motor remedy works on the talents needed for correct speech and feeding improvement. These abilities embody consciousness, power, coordination, motion, and endurance of the lips, cheeks, tongue, and jaw. In addition, as sports activities athletes know, oral motor instruments are used for self-regulation and a spotlight.
As gum chewing is prohibited on many campuses, addressing the oral motor wants of scholars through the college day might be difficult. Finding secure, quiet, and acceptable sensory options is vital. Taking oral motor breaks, corresponding to blowing bubbles, utilizing cause-and-effect whistles, or utilizing a straw to blow a ping pong ball could also be useful.
Other Safe Chewing Options
There are additionally secure options for chewing when gum or different meals will not be an possibility. If you might have a pupil that’s chewing their pencil prime right down to a nub, or a baby that’s chewing on their shirt collar, these are indicators that they could profit from oral motor instruments like Abilitations chewlery. These are product of plastic that’s latex-free, phthalate-free, and BPA-free. They embody wearable choices like bracelets and necklaces, in addition to some that may clip onto a collar or slide on a pencil prime.
Some college students could also be heavier chewers than others, so experiment with completely different thicknesses and sensory textures. An answer like Chewigems might enable you to discover that good enter for every youngster. Take a word from the professional’s playbook and begin utilizing oral motor instruments as a part of your youngster’s sport plan for fulfillment! Visit our web site for extra info and oral motor choices.
- Allen AP, Smith AP. Chewing gum: cognitive efficiency, temper, well-being, and related physiology. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:654806. doi: 10.1155/2015/654806. Epub 2015 May 17. PMID: 26075253; PMCID: PMC4449949.
Cecilia Cruse
Cecilia Cruse, MS, OTR/L has a BS diploma in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida, and her Master’s diploma in Education from Georgia State University. She is SIPT licensed and has over 25 years’ expertise in pediatrics with school-based providers, acute care, and outpatient pediatric settings.
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