ARK’s Probe was the very first product my husband and I created together.  18 years later, it’s still one of our favorite products to make!

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I use it to provide tactile cues to the articulators - to physically show someone where the tongue should go for this sound, that sound, etc.  For example, you can touch it to the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper front teeth), then remove it and prompt the child to say a tongue tip sound (t, d, n, l). 

If the child's jaw is shifting or sliding, you can have the child bite down on the Probe in between the pre-molars to stabilize the jaw. 

You can stroke the sides of the tongue for tongue awareness and to encourage lateralization.

Or stroke inside of the cheeks to increase awareness there for removing leftover food particles after eating. 

The blue tip end also has three different textures (smooth, bumpy, and striated), so it's a great tool for sensory assessments and providing sensory input. 

For kids with sensory aversions, you can start with the smooth sides (which provide the least input), then progress to the striated side in time, and eventually to the bumpy side, which provides the most input. 

There's a lot you can do with it!  It's a staple tool in my therapy "bag of tricks."

Debbie

Debra C. Lowsky, MS, CCC-SLP

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