Toddler unable to lick lips - common for dyspraxia from your experiences?

[Gilliana1]

Sorry, just wanted a quick yes/no from other parents with children with dyspraxia.

Is a common sign of dyspraxia not being able to lick your lips? Especially the top lip? My ds can't bend her tongue upwards.. she can just get it over bottom lip if she tries to stick it out. Even if there is yoghurt on her top lip - she must feel it I am sure but she just can't lick. She tries to get her bottom lip over her top to get it off.

Is this normal for dyspraxia kids?? (we think she has verbal dyspraxia and is almost 2 years old). I was reading on the net that this means a child is tongue tied.. but we just think it caused by the dyspraxia... but would love feedback on this.

ds also struggled to lick an ice cream or lolly when he was that age so I guess similar alck of control.

Exactly the same as my DS (5) who has moderate verbal dyspraxia. He really struggled with this until aged 4 when he could suddenly stick his tongue out...we did loads of SALT exercises putting hundreds and thousands around his lips and getting him to try and lick off-not sure that mad e a difference tbh...it just suddenly seemed to be a messaging pathway that resolved itself...but he still gets muddled messaging so for example he couldnt close his eyes to order until recently and even now will often stick his tongue out instead...its as if an electrical circuit has been wired a bit wrong!! he was also a huge dribbler (still a problem). Once his tongue became more labile, speech really took off as so many sounds demand a different position for the tongue...but my fantastic SALT also has a little boy who never stuck his tongue out and still achieved intelligible speech.
HTH

Yes, DD#1 struggled with her tongue control - lots of games of putting chocolate spread on her lips in different places to encourage her to keep trying!! She does a lot better now (age 6)

they look amazing- any recommendations in particular??

We got a pack similar to this for our DD - she loved them.
www.sensetoys.com/N9TONH730941_categoryid;PLEMLDRHAK

My DD doesn't have verbal dyspraxia but was late to develop tongue control and certainly could not elevate her tongue or lick her lips at age 2. However she was talking and saying some words at this age.

She's 3 now and we've spent lots of time on the tongue control. She can now lick her lips and is gaining better control all the time. Apparently quite a high percentage of 2 yr olds cannot elevate their tongue/lick their lips although most have this ability by age 3 (can't remember the exact stats, sorry!).

DD has fine motor problems which also affects her speech slightly - can be a bit slurred/unclear at times but improving with (lots of) practice.

(Not a quick yes/no answer )

similar here, DS with very poor tongue control. couldn't even stick it out until he was about 3. His SALT did tons of work to help him, and in the end it was fizzy sherbet on a saucer that got his tounge out! still can't say 'l' but really coming on now age 6. The SALT had a lot of fun excercises to help tongue and lip control;
blowing bubbles in a drink.
sucking up long spaghetti
blowing out candles, blow football, blow paintings
licking , sticking tongue out
putting on lipstick and making kisses on a mirror ( He LOVED that one! )
and she had a fab book called 'Mr tongue' with lots of tongue actions - you can google for it, or there is a version here to run through the actions with your child ( you'll have to demonstrate the actions! )

Dd is 5 and does not have Verbal dyspraxia. However, she has only just learned how to lick her top lip. I just presumed it was normal.

we put 100s and 1000s on strategic parts of her mouth, give her a mirror and get her to move her tongue around to lick them off... (bath is good for minimising mess!)

its more likely to point towards oral dyspraxia but also worth checking that theres not a tounge tie thats been missed to

DS has dyspraxia, but not verbal dyspraxia. He has phenomenal tongue extension - he can lick/pick his nose with it (TMI!) but when he gets food on his face - often - he has no sense of feeling it on his face, so doesn't clear it up. So i think there are 2 things at play for your DS. Doing all the exercises for tongue movement - and perhaps using a mirror - so he can see what it is that he is trying to lick. If he can't sense it around his mouth he won't be able to recognise where he is meant to be licking.