Weak Tongue Control? Try This Easy Oral Motor Activity 👱🏻‍♀️👅 | Low Tone PT # 210

Tongue Coordination & Oral Awareness? Try This Fun Cheerios Activity 👱🏻‍♀️👅🥣 | Down Syndrome Pediatric PT Pediatric Physical Therapy with Myla | @pediatricPTexercises 👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. I’m back with my co-instructor, Myla 👱🏻‍♀️ — an 8-year-old with low tone and Down syndrome — and her sister Maycie (age 11) 👱🏻‍♀️ joins us again. In this video, we shift to a **simple but surprisingly challenging oral motor activity**: picking up small pieces of cereal using the tongue. Children with low tone — including many children with Down syndrome — often have: • Reduced oral motor awareness • Decreased tongue strength and control • Difficulty with precise tongue movements You may also see **sensory-seeking behaviors**, like sucking on the tongue or mouthing objects. This activity helps provide **appropriate sensory input to the mouth**, while also working on coordination and control. ⚠️ The research suggests that oral motor activities do not directly improve speech. However, they *can* support the **underlying components** — like strength, awareness, and control — that contribute to speech development. ✨ What This Activity Works On 👅 Tongue mobility and coordination 🧠 Oral awareness and sensory input 💪🏿 Oral motor strength (indirectly through repetition) 🎯 Focus and attention during a short task 😄 Engagement through play and humor It also makes a great **movement break** during schoolwork or structured tasks. 🎥 Timestamps 0:03 Introduction & who is here 0:18 Why oral motor skills can be challenging with low tone 0:33 Sensory behaviors and why input matters 0:56 Why oral motor can help with focus 1:06 What the research says about speech 1:21 Activity setup (Cheerios + tongue) 1:34 Myla tries picking up cereal 1:41 Tongue movement and coordination observed 1:49 Alternative idea (popcorn) 2:00 Practice attempts and problem solving 2:17 Final round together 2:25 Why this is a fun oral motor activity 2:30 Closing Watch Myla’s full playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjMZYC1aYPuXrp-I9VFpNhCu Helpful for parents & professionals searching for: Oral motor exercises for kids Tongue strengthening activities for children Down syndrome oral motor therapy Low tone oral motor activities Pediatric physical therapy oral motor ideas Sensory oral input activities Whether you’re a parent, therapist, educator, or caregiver 👨🏾‍👩🏽‍👧🏼, this is a simple and engaging way to build oral awareness and coordination through play. Website: [www.pediatricPTexercises.com](http://www.pediatricPTexercises.com) Facebook: Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises Email: [amysturkey@gmail.com](mailto:amysturkey@gmail.com) My Books for Kids & Therapists: 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 Pediatric Physical Therapy for Down Syndrome → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 Pediatric Physical Therapy for Cerebral Palsy → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP Pediatric Physical Therapy for Autism → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB Pediatric Physical Therapy for ADHD → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR Pediatric Physical Therapy for Anxiety → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V Pediatric Physical Therapy for Toileting Challenges → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 ⚠️ This video is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. It is not appropriate or ethical for me to provide specific treatment recommendations without performing a personal evaluation.