by Kimberly Mayo-Achan MA, CCC-SLP

Many children today are receiving some type of Speech-Language Therapy, either at home, in school or in after school programs. Holidays are the perfect time to incorporate some fun, festive, relevant ideas into your therapy sessions or into your family time at home! This year, steer clear of the tricks, and read about some frighteningly fun Therapy Treats!

Feeding Therapy/Oral Motor Strengthening: All of the candy kids get while trick-or-treating can actually be used for more than just a sugar rush! Allow your child to chew a piece of gum for a few minutes to help strengthen their jaw muscles. Let them twirl a lollipop in their mouth from side to side to improve tongue lateralization and coordination. Use another lollipop to practice tongue elevation by licking it from the bottom up. Practice blowing big bubbles with a piece of bubble gum; it is a great exercise for breath control as well as lip pursing. You can also play a “balancing game” with a skittle or M&M by placing the candy on the very tip of your tongue, sticking your tongue out as far as it can go and holding it there for 15 seconds at a time. This works on tongue protrusion as well as muscle control!

Make some spooky Halloween treats such a pumpkin muffins, gingerbread caramel corn, or ghost shaped cookies. These fun foods will be physically appealing for the picky eater! Adults, make sure you thoroughly check your child’s candy basket before they eat anything and watch them closely as they enjoy it. Fruit candies, sugarless gum or any frozen fruit treats can also be used if you want to limit sugar for your child!

Check back for Therapy Treats; Part II where I will talk about using Halloween to focus on improving vocabulary and descriptive language skills. Remember, have fun, be creative, and use every moment as a learning opportunity!