Got a Drooler?

Does your toddler drool a lot?  Many parents attribute drooling to teething which certainly can be the case.  But if your child has most of his or her teeth and continues to drool, it could be a result of poor oral motor skills.  Here are some possible signs that

• Increased drooling especially during tasks that require a great deal of concentration, e.g., puzzles, etc.
• Often has his or her mouth open.
• Continues to mouth objects
• Poor speech articulation sounds.
• Difficulties with eating or chewing.

There are some strategies that parents can use to help address poor oral motor skills.  While there are conflicting reports on the effectiveness of these techniques, the families I have worked with over the years often report noticeable changes in their child's frequency of drooling as well as their articulation.  Here are some things to consider trying (all with adult supervision of course):

• An electric toothbrush.  Kids with lower muscle tone often enjoy the extra sensory experience of having an electric toothbrush.  Have them use it several times a day.
• Use an extra nubby wash cloth after meals and snacks.  Pat with a little bit of pressure all around the mouth.  It's kind of like a mini-mouth massage.
• Blow bubbles.  Have your child blow bubbles.  This takes a lot of practice and involves a lot of different muscle groups.  It can take a lot of practice before they are able to form and "o" with their lips and produce the appropriate amount of air from their diaphram. 
• Blow cotton balls or feathers from your hands.
• Use whistles or recorders.
• Use clean make-up brushes on the face around the mouth during pretend play.
• Expose your child to some strong flavors such as sour apple, etc.  Kids with lower oral motor muscle tone often find most foods rather bland.  The bitter and sour flavors that may seem strong to us are divine to them.
• Have your child lick envelopes.  Great activity for pretend play.  It takes a lot of skill to coordinate the tongue.
• Give your child stamps to lick.  Hard to find lickum' stamps anymore!
• Have your child lick peanut butter off his or her lips.  If your child is afraid of peanut butter, you can try cream cheese or the like.  Put some peanut butter at the corner of their mouth and see if they can lick it off.  You might want to hold their hands while doing this as most kids immediately try to wipe it off.  Show them how it is done by doing it yourself or better yet, do it with them in front of a large mirror.
• Pick up food with their tongue.  Lots of parents are reluctant to try this for fear of starting poor table manners, so do it only if you are comfortable with it.  The kids love it!  Put some fruity pebbles or Cheerios on a small plate and demonstrate taking the tip of your tongue and picking up a piece of cereal.  Great activity to work on tongue control.
• Hold a sucker out and have them extend their tongue to lick it.
• Have them mimic raspberries, tongue clicking, tongue wagging, etc.  Make a game of it!

Hope these suggestions help.  Remember, the key is to make it fun!