Orofacial stimulation

Most of our pupils have difficulties with food intake. The act of eating during snack- or lunchtime is thus as natural part of instruction. Many children have serious problems with putting food in their mouth, with chewing and with swallowing both solids and liquids. We make sure that our pupils get enough liquids, and some of them drink in small bursts all day long. Each child must find an approach to the intake of food and drink that suits it best. When practicing these self-care activities, we work with the pupil’s needs and try to teach them new skills in a way that food intake will be a pleasant and as easy an activity as possible: they learn to properly sit and to find the best way of chewing and swallowing, while respecting their body and its individual needs, engaging in good communication, and being at ease.

In our special education and ergotherapy practice, we make use of orofacial stimulation, which involves the fine massage of the muscles around and inside the mouth in order to relax places of increased tension and stimulate places with reduced muscle tension.

More information on this treatment can be found in:

Morales, R. C: Orofaciální regulační stimulace, Portál, Praha 2006, ISBN 80-7367-105-0

Kittel, A.: Myofunkční terapie, Grada, Praha 1999, ISBN 80-7169-619-6

Klenková, J. a kol. Terapie v logopedii, MU PedF, Brno 2007, ISBN 978-80-210-4463-0