[tri-med] Re: oral motor question

Holly:  This is exactly what Emily did.  She was very hypersensitive in the 
early years.  Nothing could pry her lips open to get into her mouth.  Over 
the years thru therapy  she has gone the complete opposite.  Now everything 
goes into her mouth (and I mean everything)  she licks everything (including 
garbage cans at docs office YUCK!)  She will put every and all textures of 
food in her mouth, but will only swallow liquid and puree foods.  Any small 
amount of texture in her food and she will detect with her tongue and spit it 
out.    She is now 6 years old and still tube fed.  Most of our friends and 
family can't understand why she isn't eating yet.  For many years they 
thought we just didn't find a food she liked the taste of (don't I wish that 
was the problem)  any way...in the big picture I feel therapy has been 
successful and that she has come a long way especially from where she 
started.  And maybe she never will eat a steak dinner but whatever her best 
is is good enough for me.  

One interesting thing to note...as we have done oral motor activities from 
time to time a OT will say she needs more input.  So we have done brushing 
followed by oral motor stuff and her licking becomes worse.  A few years 
later (actually this summer) we tried oral massage and it also backfired she 
was more and more oral with her licking,etc.  So to therapists when she licks 
alot it means to them she needs more input , but when we start a plan for 
more input she goes overboard instead of slowing down the licking.

Hope this all makes sense to someone.

Jennifer - Mom to Emily (6, w/ T13 Mosaic) , Hannah (3) and 2 angels ^i^ ^i^
              Michigan, USA


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