| Description |
This course is particularly useful for occupational and physical
therapists and speech pathologists working with children, but may be applied across the age span.
The suck/swallow/breathe synchrony is one of the most primary and essential organizing sensory motor schemas available at birth. Study of this primitive sensory motor synchrony reveals pervasive influence on all areas of motor development and coordination. Awareness of these influences opens the door to powerful strategies that support
improved sensory motor, cognitive and psychosocial development. While oral-motor treatment approaches for neurologically impaired children have focused on severe feeding dysfunction, recent clinical work with children who have sensory processing/developmental dysfunction has revealed a strong association between subtle oralmotor and respiratory dysfunction and many sensory
integrative and sensory motor problems.
A framework for understanding how and why many aspects of development are significantly influenced by oral functions will be presented. This discussion will include the relationship of the suck/swallow/breathe synchrony to behavior, learning, postural development, feeding, communication, arousal, self-regulation, psychosocial development and even common health issues in children. The relevance of this information to treatment principles with children who have sensory processing/developmental dysfunction will then be shared using slides, case examples and participant lab activities. Documentation strategies for identifying abnormal function and demonstrating change through treatment will be provided.
The MORE book will be used at the course and may be ordered from Pileated Press. Participants may wish to augment their learning
experience by acquiring additional resource materials. “Out of the Mouths of Babes”; MORE The DVD.
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