Shaler and Bergen News
March 24, 2017
MRS. WESTERVELT'S PEN PALS
SECOND GRADE FIELD TRIP
READ ACROSS AMERICA - March 2nd
Special guest readers, including Mayor and Mrs. Suarez, Police Chief Gallagher and Officer Nick, Firefighter Mike, Assemblywoman Carides, and School Superintendent Dr. Romano, along with our building administrators and staff members read stories to the classes to spark their imagination into the world of reading!
Mayor Suarez
Assemblywoman Carides
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Frank Romano
Reading Across the Ages
Mrs. McHale’s High-schoolers met Mrs. Abene’s Pre-schoolers and they shared a most wonderful exchange.
This event was beautiful and rewarding experience for everyone involved! Great fun was had by all!
Robot Enrichment Adds to Learning (REAL) Program
Students continue to explore and learn with Peter, our robot. Currently Peter is helping students with listening skills and following directions. He also reviews body parts, seasons, the weather, clothing and even emotions. Students are having simple conversations with Peter and are so excited to take him for a walk by holding his hand. One student even brought a dinosaur to class to share with Peter. Oh what fun we have with technology!
The Chicks Have Hatched!
The Do’s and Don’ts of Chewy Tools
Robyn Merkel-Walsh MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-language Specialist
Shaler Academy
Many teachers, parents and therapists alike use oral chewing tools to help children who mouth objects or grind their teeth. Chewy tools come in all shapes and sizes and are called Chewy Tubes®, Bite Tubes, Ark’s Grabbers®, Beckman Tri-Chew® and Chewlery®. While these tools can be of great benefit to children it is important to understand some important facts when using these devices.
First and foremost, the jaw is may be the most organizing joint in the body (Rosenfeld-Johnson, 2005). Children seek sensory input in the jaw for a variety of reasons, but each need is different and that is why we cannot take a one size fits all approach to remediation of jaw. A-B-C (Antecedent-Behavior –Consequence) analysis is often important to conduct before determining why a child has an oral habit, and what tool could possibly help it. Some children seek oral sensory-motor input due to low tone (Overland & Merkel-Walsh, 2013), while others grind their teeth because their dental alignment is skewed and they cannot find stability. Some children cannot discriminate a full versus a hungry feeling and always feel the need to eat while others are seeking pressure in the temporomandibular joint (Bahr, 2010). Children may also have PICA, which is persistent eating of substances such as dirt or paint that have no nutritional value. All of these issues have potential health risks and need careful consideration.
Since oral sensory-motor tools were designed with different goals in mind, a speech therapist or occupational therapist trained in oral sensory-motor disorders is best trained to conduct a proper assessment and select the correct tool(s) for remediation in each individual child. The teachers, caregivers and therapists working with the child can assist with the prescribed plan.
Here are some general guidelines when using oral sensory –motor chewy tools:
1. Children should not be given nonstop access to these tools as they are not toys. Non-stop use of these tools can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) or actually increase the need to chew.
2. Children should be on a regimented oral sensory-motor “diet” in which the use of these tools is times and data is taken. For example, the child will use the tool for five minutes every hour.
3. The tool should be placed in the mouth by a parent, teacher or care taker. The use of proper chewing can be a great exercise for jaw strength and tongue lateralization (moving the tongue side to side). The improper use of these tools can cause gagging, jaw sliding and tongue thrusting (tongue pushing forward).
4. Various tools give back various levels of pressure and require different levels of strength. For example a red Chewy Tube is much easier to chew than a purple Ark’s Grabber. The child’s therapist should determine which tool is right for the student.
5. Wearing chewing tools as jewelry may be contraindicated. Not only can this be unsanitary (bacteria grows from saliva), but it may be stigmatizing as well. The tools should be given in timed intervals and properly disinfected in between uses. Creation of an oral sensory-motor diet will better assist with oral habits than an isolated tool alone.
References:
Bahr, D. (2010). Nobody ever told me (or my mother) that! Everything from bottles and breathing to healthy speech development! Arlington, TX: Sensory World.
Overland, L. & Merkel-Walsh, R. (2013). A sensory-motor approach to feeding. Charleston, SC: TalkTools.
Rosenfeld-Johnson, S. (2005). Assessment and treatment of the jaw: putting it all together-sensory, feeding and speech. Tucson, AZ: TalkTools.
UPCOMING EVENTS
* March 27th - 31st - PreK and Kindergarten Registration
* March 29th - Dome Theatre Presentation
* March 31st - Autism Awareness Day (school celebration)
* April 3rd - International Children's Book Day (school celebration)
* April 6th - Outragehisss Pets (Shaler)
* April 10th - 14th - Spring RecessSchool Contact Information
455 Shaler Boulevard
Ridgefield, NJ 07657
201-313-2476
Bergen Boulevard School
635 Bergen Boulevard
Ridgefield, NJ 07657
201-943-1861
pmastrangelo@ridgefieldschools.com
District and School Website