At my son's one year checkup, we ticked off the list of milestones without much hesitation. My son was growing, moving and happy to interact with family and friends. I decided to mention something that I had noticed since first introducing him to more textured solid foods, a few months prior. I told our pediatrician that our son would close his lips and turn his head away when offered baby food that had mixed textures. He also gagged when he would try a bite. I found this somewhat perplexing since he shoved any rock, pine cone or stick he could find in his mouth, and consumed banana teething biscuits like they were going out of style. By the way, the foliage eating was not encouraged, and erroneous items were quickly removed. Also, we do live inside. The pediatrician felt that this behavior could be the result of discomfort do to earlier acid reflux, or something more, but we needed to wait and see.
Fast forward eight months and we were in feeding therapy that was lead by an occupational therapist trained to work with kids that have oral motor issues. Over the course of a year, we determined that our son had some low muscle tone throughout his body and in his mouth. We also learned that he was both a sensory seeker and a sensory avoider. While my son craved proprioceptive input from his beloved cheddar bunnies, he also couldn't handle pasta with sauce on it. After months of practice at home and in therapy, my son had become more of a picky eater and less of a problem eater. We also were met with a struggle when giving up the bottle and drinking from a cup. We continue to work on strengthening his muscles and exposing him to new textures almost two years later. 
Toward the middle of our time in therapy, we were introduced to the ARK Z-Vibe. It has become one of the most used sensory regulation tools in our home. If you have a "seeker" I highly recommend a giant foam-filled bean bag chair and a Z-Vibe. ARK Therapeutic has been kind enough to send over some products for my son to experiment with and we are loving the experience.
In the beginning, we used this vibrating, oral-motor tool to essentially wake up my son's mouth muscles a bit before trying new foods. Overtime, this tool has become an amazing regulating device. My son asks
for his "buzzy," when he feels that he needs it and we give it to him
before and after activities that demand a lot of consideration or
sensory input. The Z-Vibe and some headphones were a big part of our recent
successful trip to see Madagascar the Musical. ARK even provides a book filed with information and techniques to work with the tool in the child's mouth and on lips. Having this guide is so great, because I have at times felt that we as parents need the full picture of how to carry out protocol and activities in the home. Seeing a therapist once a week can only do so much.
Our go-to ARK tool is the Z-Vibe with the yellow, bumpy tip. We have several tips that work with the Z-Vibe, including ones that look like animals. I am also a fan of their chewy jewelry and simple chewies that act as pen toppers, which might be useful as my son gets older. The company has a variety of products that help with drinking, fine motor needs and eating. I've found everything to be very durable and easy to clean.
I am so thankful that these fun tools are available to my child and that the people making them are smart, kind and truly want their consumers to get the most from the products. While I am not a therapist or a physician, but I am a parent who has loved their experience with this company and their willingness to share helpful information and make a product that helps regulate my child. Please feel free to share with me your journey toward better sensory regulation. I love all the tips that I can get!
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