![]() ![]() Using a Z-vibe provides the mouth with vibrating sensory input and can help decrease the sensitivity over time thus allowing them to tolerate sensations with decreased aversion. Oral defensiveness: If your child experiences oral defensiveness, they will have an aversive response to touch sensations in and around their mouth.for children who experience difficulties with feeding, sensory integration, oral motor skills, and speech.įrom an occupational therapy approach this tool can be utilized for a variety of reasons: So, what exactly is a Z-Vibe?Ī Z-Vibe is a therapeutic vibratory tool developed by ARK Therapeutic Services, Inc. Any ideas from this blog should be discussed with your child's treating professional(s) to ensure proper use.Does your child experience difficulty with feeding or oral sensory processing? If your child currently receives feeding therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy, a Z-Vibe might be a tool that the therapist will incorporate. Please keep in mind that the content presented here is not all-inclusive, and should not be considered a substitute for an in-person evaluation and treatment by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, or another trained professional. The information contained in this blog is offered in good faith and represents only the author's current understanding of best therapeutic practices. Links / references to this site are welcome, but credit must be given back to this site. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP Top PostsĪll Rights Reserved. Tips, Strategies, and Advice from ARK's very own Debra C. Work on individualized progress and remember that frequent exercises throughout the day are more important than the amount of exercises completed in any one session. You can use it again in the next session, starting just below the point of rejection and ending before it occurs. If at any point the individual shows signs of refusal (grimacing, pushing the tool away, turning his head, etc.), discontinue oral motor therapy at that pointīefore the individual rejections stimulation. Then I’ll remove from the mouth to work on babbling, sound production, or feeding.Īs a general rule: provide stimulation, monitor the response, and adjust accordingly. With theĪnimal Tips I can be in the mouth longer, perhaps up to 30 seconds at a time having the child close their lips around the animal’s face, explore the bumps and ridges with their tongue, bite the blocks on the back of the tip for jaw grading practice, and so forth. The same would apply for stroking the sides of the tongue for lateralization, applying pressure on the back of the tongue to assist elevation, applying pressure mid-tongue for a tongue bowl, etc. So, the duration that I'm using the Z-Vibe is quite short for this exercise. If there still isn’t a response, I’ll continue again with feeding or sound production and repeat the exercise above a little later. If the tongue tip doesn't elevate, then I'll move on to another goal for the time being, then repeat the Probe/Mini Tip exercise. Sometimes this simple tactile cue is all that's necessary to trigger elevation. I’ll do that one more time and wait for elevation. If the tongue doesn't elevate, I'll repeat the exercise again (if the individual allows). I apply gentle pressure, then lean back and wait for a response. Probe Tip or Mini Tip to touch alveolar ridge (just behind the upper front teeth). When working on tongue tip elevation, for example, I use the Z-Vibe with the Once you're in the mouth, the length of time will vary depending upon what your goals are. Then turn it on, show it to the individual, and let him/her feel the vibration in the hands and on the arms, slowly working towards acceptance into the mouth. ![]() ![]() Z-Vibe slowly (at least until they are comfortable with it). Either way, I always recommend introducing the Some individuals may not be able to tolerate a lot of stimulation, while others may crave it. This will vary according to each person's sensory preferences. What is the frequency and duration of use that you recommend for vibration during therapy? ![]()
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