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Z vibe exercises7/4/2023 NO lead, phthalates, PVC, BPA, or latex.Made in the USA, medical grade, FDA compliant.Please note: If you carry the Z-Vibe, you should also carry the Batteries & Spare Parts for the convenience of your customers. To turn the unit on, simply twist the Switch Tip at the opposite end of the handle just until the unit starts to vibrate (please do not over-tighten!). Use the Probe Tip for oral motor assessment and development. The handle comes with a blue Probe Tip on one end and a Switch Tip on the other. This texture can also be brushed along the cheeks, arms, hands, etc. The Z-Vibe®'s sleek, innovative design features a lightweight, plastic hand-piece with gentle bumps around its circumference for a non-slip grip. Vibration can also be very calming, soothing, and organising. Its gentle vibration provides a new level of sensory stimulation to increase oral focus and draw more attention to the lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw. Use it to provide a varied sensory experience and/or to provide targeted tactile cues within the oral cavity. Any ideas from this blog should be discussed with your child's treating professional(s) to ensure proper use.ARK's Z-Vibe® is a vibratory oral motor tool that can help build oral tone and improve a variety of speech, feeding, and sensory skills. Please keep in mind that the content presented here is not all-inclusive, and should not be considered a substitute for an in-person evaluation and treatment by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, or another trained professional. The information contained in this blog is offered in good faith and represents only the author's current understanding of best therapeutic practices. Links / references to this site are welcome, but credit must be given back to this site. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP Top PostsĪll Rights Reserved. Tips, Strategies, and Advice from ARK's very own Debra C. Work on individualized progress and remember that frequent exercises throughout the day are more important than the amount of exercises completed in any one session. You can use it again in the next session, starting just below the point of rejection and ending before it occurs. If at any point the individual shows signs of refusal (grimacing, pushing the tool away, turning his head, etc.), discontinue oral motor therapy at that pointīefore the individual rejections stimulation. Then I’ll remove from the mouth to work on babbling, sound production, or feeding.Īs a general rule: provide stimulation, monitor the response, and adjust accordingly. With theĪnimal Tips I can be in the mouth longer, perhaps up to 30 seconds at a time having the child close their lips around the animal’s face, explore the bumps and ridges with their tongue, bite the blocks on the back of the tip for jaw grading practice, and so forth. The same would apply for stroking the sides of the tongue for lateralization, applying pressure on the back of the tongue to assist elevation, applying pressure mid-tongue for a tongue bowl, etc. So, the duration that I'm using the Z-Vibe is quite short for this exercise. If there still isn’t a response, I’ll continue again with feeding or sound production and repeat the exercise above a little later. If the tongue tip doesn't elevate, then I'll move on to another goal for the time being, then repeat the Probe/Mini Tip exercise. Sometimes this simple tactile cue is all that's necessary to trigger elevation. I’ll do that one more time and wait for elevation. If the tongue doesn't elevate, I'll repeat the exercise again (if the individual allows). I apply gentle pressure, then lean back and wait for a response. Probe Tip or Mini Tip to touch alveolar ridge (just behind the upper front teeth). When working on tongue tip elevation, for example, I use the Z-Vibe with the Once you're in the mouth, the length of time will vary depending upon what your goals are. Then turn it on, show it to the individual, and let him/her feel the vibration in the hands and on the arms, slowly working towards acceptance into the mouth. Z-Vibe slowly (at least until they are comfortable with it). Either way, I always recommend introducing the Some individuals may not be able to tolerate a lot of stimulation, while others may crave it. This will vary according to each person's sensory preferences. What is the frequency and duration of use that you recommend for vibration during therapy?
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