Oral Motor Difficulties-Apraxia

If anyone has any advice on oral motor therapy that has worked, I would greatly appreciate it. My dd definitely has a combination of sensory and oral motor issues when it comes to eating and vocalizing. She can eat solid food if they are mushy or crunchy. She rejects certain textures and now that we are trying to go gluten free, she can't handle the "bread" products because they don't moisten up or mush the way gluten bread products do.

It's really the only "defensive" behavior of her sensory system. Her tactile sense is actually very grounded "typical". And if anything she enjoys vibrations and being touched (even in the mouth).

Aside from the eating, I would also like her oral motor muscles to get a bit of a workout or 'wakeup' so to speak, since she is currently non verbal. She babbles or uses approximations all day in vowel type sounds.

As of now we have no therapist that works on this. Should I look into adding on a therapist that specializes in this ? She is currently in EI .

She is not yet diagnosed with oral or verbal apraxia but to me it's obviously one of her issues.

Thanks in advance

Re: Oral Motor Difficulties-Apraxia

We have the exact same problems. Food is still an issue.

I am going to work on getting a prompt therapist SLP. A real prompt trained therapist.

Re: Oral Motor Difficulties-Apraxia

My ds has severe apraxia and had many difficulities speaking and some with eating. He didn't speak until he was 4. The only thing that has worked for us is PROMPT therapy.

Re: Oral Motor Difficulties-Apraxia

Christopher is 4 years old. He is not diagnosed yet with Apraxia, but his SLP thinks he shows some signs of it. She told me that is around the age they actually diagnose apraxia.
PROMPT has helped my son so much. He is now starting to talk, with many verbal approximations.

Message edited 2/15/2011 7:23:15 AM.