Lips

TalkTools motivational Horn Hierarchy teaches essential oral-motor skills needed in OPT (Oral Placement Therapy). Developed by Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, this therapy addresses deficits in abdominal grading, is a prerequisite for improving velopharyngeal functioning and targets specific speech sounds. In combination with the Straw Hierarchy, it is an invaluable technique for eliminating tongue thrusting. It can also be used to reduce or even eliminate drooling.

Ice Sticks promote thermal stimulation for oral movement. The program is designed for clients who cannot achieve lip closure, jaw closure or sufficient tongue retraction to mobilize a bolus back to achieve a swallow. These deficits are particularly seen in clients with Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury and Moebius Syndrome. Through direct stimulation of the lips, Ice Sticks’ multi-sensory exercises help develop prerequisite skills to implement an Oral Placement, feeding or speech therapy program.

Self-feeding is an essential milestone in human development. Children learning to feed themselves are learning to master independence, fine motor skills, sensory regulation, and food exploration skills. Having appropriate utensils and tools can help with the transition from caregiver-led feeding to self-feeding.

TalkTools® is known across the globe for tools, training, and techniques developed and tested by speech and feeding professionals that provide evidence-based, next-day solutions for therapists and the families they serve. The Itsy™ Collection is no different. It is an inclusive feeding set inspired by TalkTools® founder, Sara Rosenfeld Johnson, and designed and tested by speech-language therapist-occupational therapist teams and their clients. It is the most comprehensive feeding platform for promoting self-feeding, including babies who may have challenges with transitioning to self-feeding (i.e., sensory processing, neurological, physical, or developmental differences).

The TalkTools® Itsy™ Spoon Set includes two spoons -- textured and smooth -- to accommodate where the baby is on their self-feeding journey. Ergonomically designed, the Itsy™ Spoon set allows your child to practice their grasping and fine motor skills.


Benefits and Features:

• Flexible but sturdy bowls offer safer self-feeding
• Guard flange has a stop-roll feature and keeps the bowl clean by elevating it above the eating surface

We designed 2 spoons to meet different stages and skill levels for beginning eaters. Textured Spoon

• the textured, grooved bowl provides additional sensory input and holds food in place
• sloped bowl safely channels food into the mouth
• symmetrical, bulb-shaped handle proportionally designed to encourage independent grasping and holding

Smooth Spoon

• smooth, shallow bowl limits portions, encourages safe self-feeding
• curved, bulb-shaped handle promotes grip control and arm-wrist rotation

Self-feeding is an essential milestone in human development. Children learning to feed themselves are learning to master independence, fine motor skills, sensory regulation, and food exploration skills. Having appropriate utensils and tools can help with the transition from caregiver-led feeding to self-feeding.

TalkTools® is known across the globe for tools, training, and techniques developed and tested by speech and feeding professionals that provide evidence-based, next-day solutions for therapists and the families they serve. The Itsy™ Collection is no different. It is an inclusive feeding set inspired by TalkTools® founder, Sara Rosenfeld Johnson, and designed and tested by speech-language therapist-occupational therapist teams and their clients. It is the most comprehensive feeding platform for promoting self-feeding, including babies who may have challenges with transitioning to self-feeding (i.e., sensory processing, neurological, physical, or developmental differences).

The TalkTools® Itsy™ Plate is an excellent mealtime solution for teaching your child to feed themselves


Benefits and Features:

• The symmetrical, circular design resembles a regular plate -- allows for appropriate food portions and can be rotated for sequential eating
• 4 sections with open triangular design accommodate selective eaters (who need food separated), as well as those eaters who want to explore foods and like to "mix and match"
• Volume lines assist with easy food measurements
• Curved walls to scoop
• A strong suctioned base keeps the plate in place
• Sized to fit all standard high chairs

Tongue Depressors can be used to promote lip closure, nose breathing, and saliva control.

Tongue Depressors can be used to promote lip closure, nose breathing, and saliva control.

Tongue Depressors can be used to promote lip closure, nose breathing, and saliva control.

Tongue Depressors can be used to promote lip closure, nose breathing, and saliva control. Box of 50.

These colourful lip blocks are designed for use with the TalkTools Straw Kit. This technique can be used with very young children, as well as with adults. Therapeutic straw drinking is an effective technique for achieving tongue retraction, lip protrusion and inhibiting tongue thrust, skills that are needed for speech clarity and feeding safety.

IQoro is a neuromuscular training device. It allows you to strengthen the muscles that you can't usually train - at least not by consciously controlling these muscles. The instructions to activate these 'involuntary' muscles come only from autonomic brain signals. That's what IQoro stimulates.

IQoro treats:

- Acid reflux, heartburn
- Hiatal hernia
- Snoring, sleep apnoea
- Swallowing difficulties - dysphagia
- Drooling
- Paralysis of the face, mouth and throat

IQoro is a neuromuscular training device. It allows you to strengthen the muscles that you can't usually train - at least not by consciously controlling these muscles. The instructions to activate these 'involuntary' muscles come only from autonomic brain signals. That's what IQoro stimulates.

IQoro treats:

- Acid reflux, heartburn
- Hiatal hernia
- Snoring, sleep apnoea
- Swallowing difficulties - dysphagia
- Drooling
- Paralysis of the face, mouth and throat

The Cat Tip is designed with a variety of textures to generate different sensations within the oral cavity and to the lips and face. Use the ears as 'spoons' to scoop foods on either a smooth or textured surface. The different textures can be used to encourage oral-sensory exploration.

ARK's proBarbell™ Set is a fun and engaging way to work on lip closure and lip strength, fundamental skills needed for proper speech and feeding development. Using tongue depressors with pennies taped on either end has been a DIY oral motor exercise for many years. ARK's proBarbell set offers a fun, high quality upgrade of that oral motor activity - no more small parts or tape to worry about! Each proBarbell™ set includes two tools. The blue barbell has the equivalent weight of 2 pennies on each end, and the green barbell has the equivalent weight of 4 pennies on each end.

This set of two colourful, spill-resistant cups comes with tight-fitting lids and are ready to use with our straw Hierarchy. Use the small cup for the shorter straws. Use the taller cup for the longer straws to prevent tipping. Helps teach the child to hold the cup, not the straw.

This colourful, spill-resistant cup comes with a tight-fitting lid and is ready to use with our straw Hierarchy. Helps teach the child to hold the cup, not the straw.

This colourful, spill-resistant cup comes with tight-fitting lid to fit the straws in the TalkTools Straw Hierarchy. Use this large cup for the longest straws to prevent tipping.

The Honey Bear is a TalkTools® original that allows you to control the flow of liquid into a child's mouth and encourages children to learn straw drinking. It is used by speech and feeding therapists around the world to teach lip rounding, tongue retraction and other oral-motor skills. It can also be used by toddlers to transition from bottle feeding to cup drinking. The flexible straw and the squeezable body of this cup make it the perfect tool to wean a child from bottles or sippy cups.

The Honey Bear is a TalkTools® original that allows you to control the flow of liquid into a child's mouth and encourages children to learn straw drinking. It is used by speech and feeding therapists around the world to teach lip rounding, tongue retraction and other oral-motor skills. It can also be used by toddlers to transition from bottle feeding to cup drinking. The flexible straw and the squeezable body of this cup make it the perfect tool to wean a child from bottles or sippy cups.

Big things come in small packages sometimes! The removable Select-Flow Valve can be barely seen in the bottom of the straw, yet it makes drinking from a straw much easier. Liquid goes up into the straw, but does not flow back down into the cup. In other words, the straw always stays "full" of liquid, so you don't have to draw liquid up the full length of the straw and only a very small amount of suction is required to take a sip.

A smart alternative to 'Sippy' cups. An open rim cup that limits the flow of liquid allowing development of drinking patterns.

A smart alternative to 'Sippy' cups. An open rim cup that limits the flow of liquid allowing development of drinking patterns.

A smart alternative to 'Sippy' cups. An open rim cup that limits the flow of liquid allowing development of drinking patterns.

A smart alternative to 'Sippy' cups. An open rim cup that limits the flow of liquid allowing development of drinking patterns.

Appropriate for clients of all ages, the Recessed Lid Cup is a therapeutic alternative to sippy cups. It has two handles to help keep hands at midline and encourage self-feeding. Two lids are included. The recessed lid has two small holes which encourage cup drinking with tongue retraction and improved lip closure without extending your head and neck. The other lid has one bigger hole to allow for placement of a straw.

These flexible cups are designed to stimulate the lips & cheeks and allow someone to drink without head or neck extension. The generous open design allows easy viewing of lip and tongue movement.

These flexible cups are designed to stimulate the lips & cheeks and allow someone to drink without head or neck extension. The generous open design allows easy viewing of lip and tongue movement.

These flexible cups are designed to stimulate the lips & cheeks and allow someone to drink without head or neck extension. The generous open design allows easy viewing of lip and tongue movement.

ARK's DnZ-Vibe® is a vibratory oral motor tool that can help build oral tone and improve a variety of speech, feeding, and sensory skills. Use it to provide a varied sensory experience and/or to provide targeted tactile cues within the oral cavity. 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. Vibration can also be very calming, soothing, and organizing.

ARK's DnZ-Vibe® is a vibratory oral motor tool that can help build oral tone and improve a variety of speech, feeding, and sensory skills. Use it to provide a varied sensory experience and/or to provide targeted tactile cues within the oral cavity. 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. Vibration can also be very calming, soothing, and organizing.

The yellow Preefer tips are appropriate when a continuous rolling action is desired.

The yellow spoon tips are constructed of hard plastic; use them to promote lip closure.

The blue spoon tips are constructed of a softer, flexible plastic; use them to promote lip closure. (Set of 3)

ARK's Brush Tips turn any Z-Vibe® into the ultimate sensory toothbrush. The Soft Brush Tip (blue) has pliable bristles, which allow for gentle gum massage Use it for tactile and proprioceptive input to the tongue, cheeks, palate, and lips during oral stimulation and/or dental care. When used with a Z-Vibe or Z-Grabber handle (sold separately), the added vibration can have a soothing and calming effect for individuals with sensory issues.

These are identical to the original yellow Spoon Tips, but with the added feature of a textured underside for those requiring additional sensory input during feeding. Sold in packages of three.

These are identical to the blue Soft Spoon Tips, but with the added feature of a textured underside for those requiring additional sensory input during feeding.

ARK's Spoon Tip attachments turn any Z-Vibe® into the ultimate sensory feeding tool. The Spoon Tip was specially designed by feeding therapist Debbie Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP to support easy feeding and food removal. The size and shape of the spoon bowl are "just right" - big enough to hold an appropriate amount of food, but small enough to prevent the spoon from being overloaded with too much food. When used with the Z-Vibe handle, the Spoon Tips can help "wake up" the mouth, increase awareness, and provide stimulation to the lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw. A wonderful tool for any sensory mealtime treatment plan, these Spoon Tips have helped many therapists and parents get tube-fed children on their first solid foods. These are similar to the standard Spoon Tips, but with gentle bumps on the back of the spoon. This texture helps transition children from puréed to textured foods and provides added tongue stability.

ARK's Spoon Tip attachments turn any Z-Vibe® into the ultimate sensory feeding tool. The Spoon Tip was specially designed by feeding therapist Debbie Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP to support easy feeding and food removal. The size and shape of the spoon bowl are "just right" - big enough to hold an appropriate amount of food, but small enough to prevent the spoon from being overloaded with too much food. When used with the Z-Vibe handle, the Spoon Tips can help "wake up" the mouth, increase awareness, and provide stimulation to the lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw. A wonderful tool for any sensory mealtime treatment plan, these Spoon Tips have helped many therapists and parents get tube-fed children on their first solid foods. These are similar to the standard Spoon Tips, but with gentle bumps on the back of the spoon. This texture helps transition children from puréed to textured foods and provides added tongue stability.

ARK's Popette Tip is an adaptor for the Z-Vibe® that lets you add vibration to the use of lollipops, Toothettes, and Oral Swabs. Lollipops are a fun, effective, and tasty oral motor therapy tool for oral awareness and lip/tongue exercises. Toothettes and Oral Swabs are spongy therapy tools commonly used during sensory assessments and to provide oral input. Simply press the stem of the lollipop etc into the Popette Tip, twist the Popette Tip into the Z-Vibe® handle (sold separately), and you're ready to go! You can also trim the stem of the Toothette, Oral Swab, or lollipop if need be.

ARK's Button Tips are a fun and engaging way to work on lip closure and lip strength - fundamental skills needed for proper speech and feeding development. They're exactly the same as the proButton set, but fashioned into tip attachments for the DnZ-Vibe® (DnZ-Vibe sold separately).
Speech therapists have been doing a "button pull" lip closure activity with their clients since the 1970s by tying string through buttons. ARK's Button Tip set offers a safer, professional upgrade of that classic oral motor exercise - no more small parts or thin string to worry about!
Caution: this therapeutic tool should be used under adult supervision at all times.

ARK's Button Tips are a fun and engaging way to work on lip closure and lip strength - fundamental skills needed for proper speech and feeding development. They're exactly the same as the proButton set, but fashioned into tip attachments for the DnZ-Vibe® (DnZ-Vibe sold separately).
Speech therapists have been doing a "button pull" lip closure activity with their clients since the 1970s by tying string through buttons. ARK's Button Tip set offers a safer, professional upgrade of that classic oral motor exercise - no more small parts or thin string to worry about!
Caution: this therapeutic tool should be used under adult supervision at all times.

This tool has a rubber biting surface. The Probe can be used for a variety of sensory and pre-feeding goals, including oral stimulation and teaching a munch chew.

This tool has a rubber biting surface with sides that are ridged and flat. The Probe can be used for a variety of sensory and pre-feeding goals, including oral stimulation and teaching a munch chew.

The yellow Preefer tips are appropriate when a continuous rolling action is desired. (Single)

The yellow spoon tips are constructed of hard plastic; use them to promote lip closure. (Single)

The blue spoon tips are constructed of a softer, flexible plastic; use them to promote lip closure.

Like the standard bite and chew tips only longer.

The Mouse Tip is designed with a variety of textures to generate different sensations within the oral cavity and to the lips and face. Use the ears as 'spoons' to scoop foods on either a smooth or textured surface. The different textures can be used to encourage oral-sensory exploration.

These are identical to the yellow Hard Spoon Tips, but with the added feature of a textured underside for those requiring additional sensory input during feeding. Sold in as singles.

These are identical to the blue Soft Spoon Tips, but with the added feature of a textured underside for those requiring additional sensory input during feeding.

• To be used with the TalkTools® Sensi™
• Used to elicit lip rounding
• Used to stimulate lips, cheeks, and tongue
• Wake up the mouth
• Also available in a smaller version Wee Round Tip
• Made in the USA
• Made from medical grade FDA compliant material
• Dishwasher Safe
• No BPA, PVC, latex, phthalates, or lead
• Therapist/Adult supervision required

• To be used with the TalkTools® Sensi™
• Used to elicit lip rounding
• Used to stimulate lips, cheeks, and tongue
• Wake up the mouth
• Also available in a larger version Round Tip
• Made in the USA
• Made from medical grade FDA compliant material
• Dishwasher Safe
• No BPA, PVC, latex, phthalates, or lead
• Therapist/Adult supervision required

• To be used with the TalkTools® Sensi®
• Used to promote lip closure, nose breathing, and saliva management
• Made in the USA
• Made from medical grade FDA compliant material
• Dishwasher Safe
• No BPA, PVC, latex, phthalates, or lead

• To be used with the TalkTools® Sensi™
• Used to promote lip closure, nose breathing, and saliva management
• Added texture for increased sensory stimulation
• Made in the USA
• Made from medical grade FDA compliant material
• Dishwasher Safe
• No BPA, PVC, latex, phthalates, or lead

• To be used with the TalkTools® Sensi™
• Designed to provide oral sensory stimulation to both corners of the mouth while simultaneous eliciting lip closure
• Ideal for pureed food -- pureed food pouches load easily
• Used in careful feeding protocols and to increase oral sensory awareness with spoon feeding
• Wake up the mouth
• Constructed of a softer more flexible material
• Made in the USA
• Dishwasher Safe
• No BPA, PVC, latex, phthalates, or lead

This OPT (Oral Placement Therapy) activity addresses one of the components of drooling: weak lip closure. In addition, many clients who present interdental tongue protrusion during function have weak lip strength. For example, they may suckle on a straw rather than use lip protrusion with tongue retraction to draw up the liquid. Others may use their teeth or scrape purees from a spoon rather than removing the puree with their lips. As a result, the lips rest in an open mouth posture. This exercise will address those clients and will also develop strength in the orbicularis-oris muscle as a prerequisite for standard speech sound production of: / w, o, u, (sh), (ch), (j) /.