Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 8/11/2006 12:24:00 PM Author: R. Stutz (dragonflylane@hotmail.com) Subject: some thoughts I am a foster mom. I received a child that was 18 months old that didn’t chew or bite her food. I got her to Mighty Oaks in Albany, Oregon and had her evaluated. They also found that she also had some underdevelopment in her trunk area and balance. They said most kids with delayed chewing have problems with balance with their trunk area. She went into therapy once a week and after 5 months she was fine. I strongly suggest that you go to a “good” therapist and have him evaluated. Early Intervention in Oregon can help you find one. I have sent kids to Mighty Oaks and to one in Eugene on the U of O campus. Keep looking till you find one that can help you understand what is going on and what you can do to help. Good knowledgeable support is very important for you and your child. They had me work with my little foster girl at home. I can tell you what they had me do. They wanted me to work her mouth as much as I could. We blew bubbles, blew feathers across the table or in the air, kissed and played pucker up, we took a lollypop and put it to the one side of her lips and made her move her tongue to lick it with out moving her head, then we did it over to the other side and then up and down. She was given a yellow rubber tube to chew on and we would move it to the left side of her mouth and have her bite down on it. Then we would move it to another part of her mouth and so on. I was to give her lots of baby finger foods (Cheerios, soft cooked carrots, peas, and so on.) This way if she didn’t chew it then she wouldn’t choke. Good luck and most of all take care of your self. Your children need you. Name: Email: Subject

© 2007 Excelligence Learning Corporation, All Rights Reserved.