Weak Lip Seal for Speech & Straw Sipping? Try This Oral Motor Activity 👧🏼👄 | Down Syndrome PT #212

👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. 💛 Watch Myla’s full playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjMZYC1aYPuXrp-I9VFpNhCu Today I’m back with my wonderful co-instructors Myla 👧🏼 and her sister Maycie 👧🏼. Myla is 8 years old and has Down syndrome with low tone. In this session, we work on an oral motor activity designed to improve lip closure by holding a lightweight plastic children's knife between the lips. Children with low tone and Down syndrome often have difficulty maintaining a closed-mouth posture and generating the lip movements needed for speech and feeding skills. In this activity, we focus on the orbicularis oris muscle, the circular muscle around the mouth responsible for closing and shaping the lips. Maycie demonstrates the activity first, while Myla works hard to figure out the motor planning needed to hold the object with her lips rather than her teeth. Throughout the activity, I use the /m/ sound as a cue because the movement pattern is similar to the lip closure needed for /m/, /p/, and /b/. It is important to note that practicing this activity alone does not directly improve production of those speech sounds. Research suggests that strengthening exercises by themselves do not automatically improve speech. However, learning the movement pattern and increasing awareness of the lips may help support motor planning when speech sounds are practiced directly. In this activity, we: 👄 Practice lip closure 💪 Strengthen the orbicularis oris muscle 🧠 Work on oral motor planning 🗣️ Explore movements used for /m/, /p/, and /b/ 👧🏼👧🏼 Use sibling modeling and encouragement 😊 Increase sensory awareness of the mouth Some things I notice with Myla: ✔️ She readily uses her lower lip ✔️ She prefers to hold the object with her teeth ✔️ The upper lip has more difficulty curling down ✔️ She begins to show improvement by the end of the session ✔️ This would be an excellent skill to continue practicing These kinds of oral motor activities can be especially helpful for: 👄 Lip awareness 💪 Lip strength 🧠 Motor planning 🎯 Attention and focus 😊 Sensory input to the mouth 🗣️ Speech practice preparation --- ⏱️ Timestamps 0:04 Introduction 0:15 Oral motor goals and lip closure 0:27 Demonstration with Maycie 0:42 Why lip closure matters for /m/, /p/, and /b/ 1:05 Myla practices the activity 1:51 Observations about Myla's upper lip 2:00 How oral motor skills relate to speech 2:20 Sensory awareness and motor planning 2:44 Closing 2:50 Subscribe and notifications --- 💡 Helpful for parents & professionals searching for: Oral motor activities for Down syndrome Lip closure exercises children Low tone oral motor exercises Orbicularis oris activities Speech preparation activities Oral motor planning exercises Down syndrome speech support Mouth strengthening activities --- 👩🏽‍🦱👨🏾‍🦱 Whether you’re a parent, therapist, or educator, simple oral motor activities can provide opportunities to build awareness, coordination, and control of the muscles used for speech and feeding. --- ⚠️ This video is for educational purposes only. It is not ethical to provide specific treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated. Please consult your child’s healthcare provider before trying new activities. --- 🌍 Website: [www.pediatricPTexercises.com](http://www.pediatricPTexercises.com) 📘 Facebook: Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises 📧 Email: [amysturkey@gmail.com](mailto:amysturkey@gmail.com) --- 📚 My books on Amazon P is for Poop and Pee Accidents → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 A is for Anxiety → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR C is for Cerebral Palsy → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP D is for Down Syndrome → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 A is for Autism → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises — Hips → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises — Knees → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises — Ankles → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD