Therapy items used for Sensory Oral Stimulation

When my son gets nervous or over stimulated, he will chew or suck on non- edible objects and make noises. When we first started this journey, I had no idea how to help him. He was not a baby or toddler and was still mouthing things. I have now learned that during those times he is craving oral stimulation. Here are some tools that you can use to give your child input if they are also craving oral stimulation.

1.     A Vibrating tool- There are several tools out there depending upon your budget. Here is a list of them with descriptions, so you can find the best fit for your child.

·        Vibrating tooth brush- You kind find this for $5 at your local grocery or drugstore. They come plain or with different cartoon characters. Some even light up or make music. If your child is a sensory craver, they will love the additional light and sounds. If they are an avoider, the lights and sounds can be over stimulating.

·        ARK’s Wiggle Buddy- a vibrating stick with bumpy, jiggly, vibration. They range from $12 -$15.

·        Jigglers- These are also vibrating sticks that have characters on the end. They range from $15 -$20

·        Critter Vibe- Similar to the Jigglers and Wiggle Buddy, just a different brand. They range from $20 - $25.

·        Z- Vibe- A vibrating stick that comes with several attachments- textured tops, animals, spoons. It is an all in one therapy tool. They cost $45 - $50 for the main kit. There are add-on pieces for an additional cost.

 

2.     Chewy Objects- They are used to give a child input and also to improve strength for feeding (biting/ chewing).

·  Chewy tubes- These come in different colors and textures.  The different colors are different sizes and provide different resistance (Yellow- thin, red- medium, blue- thick, green- textured). They look like a “T”.  They cost about $7.00.

·  Chewy stixx- These also come in different colors and are different flavors. They are smooth on one end and textured on the other. They look like a small stick. They cost about $7.00.

·  Chewlry- This is jewelry your child can chew on. They make both necklaces and bracelets. My son love his necklace that looks like Army tags. They cost from $10.00 - $25.00.

·  Pencil/ pen toppers- These are tops to writing utensils that your child can chew without destroying their pencil or pen. They cost about $7.00.

 

3.     Textured Spoons –They come in different sizes and combine oral stimulation with feeding. They cost $10.00 - $20.00.

 

4.     Candy- It can be used to increase strength as well as stimulate.

·        Suckers/ sour icebreakers- help increase strength with sucking while providing flavor for stimulating

·        Tootsie rolls/ twizzlers/ gum/ sour sticks/ laffy taffy- help increase strength with chewing while providing input and flavor for stimulating

 

The great thing about these tools is that they will also help with tone and feeding if your child needs help with that as well. I buy most of these items from Super Duper Inc., ARK’s Therapeutic Services, and Therapy Shoppe. You can also find them on Ebay and Amazon.

As always, if you don't know how to use these items to benefit your child, please talk to your child's therapist. Working as a team, will really maximize your child's progress.