ARK - Z-Vibe® - Dog Tip

ARK's Animal Tips are a charming addition to any oral sensory motor treatment plan. The friendly faces of these therapy tools for kids immediately spark interest, improve concentration, and increase willingness to participate. Each tip has a variety of shapes and textures for oral stimulation and sensory input both within the oral cavity and around the lips and face. Use the textured ears as spoons to decrease texture aversion. Or, use the bite blocks on the back of the tips to practice jaw grading and stability. They can also be used to work on biting/chewing skills, coordination of movement, and of course play therapy.  Kids will love incorporating these playful "pets" into their speech and feeding therapy sessions! 

From the pull-down menu, choose which tip you'd like.  Each tip is sold individually or in a set of all 3 for a savings (handle sold separately).  

•  Made in the USA, medical grade, FDA compliant
• No BPA, PVC, lead, phthalates, or latex
• The Cat Tip measures approximately 1.75" from ear to ear, the Dog 2.75", and the Mouse 3"
• Each tip is sold individually or in a set of all three
• Dishwasher-safe
• To be used with any Z-Vibe® or Z-Grabber® (sold separately)

Suggested Uses:

• Allow hesitant / orally defensive children to explore the various sensations in their hands and on their arms first, slowly working towards acceptance in the mouth for oral stimulation.  
• Dip the Cat in food and use him as a "dipper spoon" to decrease texture aversion, decrease food anxiety, and increase oral awareness during feeding therapy.  
• Use the ears of the Mouse & Dog as spoons! One ear has a smooth backside. The other ear has gentle bumps for added tactile input and stability to the tongue. Use the bumpy one to help introduce texture to puréed foods and to encourage the transition from puréed to textured/regular food. The Mouse ears are also aptly positioned at an angle to make eating easier for beginning spoon users or children with limited dexterity (please directly supervise when the child is holding the tool him/herself).
• Use Mr. Dog during mealtimes and feeding therapy to decrease food anxiety.  The various textures and sensations can also help "wake up" the mouth, decrease oral aversions, and normalize sensitivities. 
• Use the various heights of the tips to practice jaw grading and stability - have the child practice biting the ears, the side of the face, the bite block on the back of the tip, etc. to practice gauging how far they should open their mouth.
• The bite blocks on the back come in three different sizes. Start with the Dog Tip, as he has the thickest bite block (which is the easiest). Then progress to the Mouse Tip, which has a thinner bite block, and finally to the Cat Tip, which has the thinnest and thus the most difficult bite block. Click on the "Therapy Video" tab above to learn more about this oral motor exercise / hierarchy for jaw grading.
• Have fun!