The Textured Spoon

by Johnson Therapeutic

Dawn Peters and Lori Johnson MS,CCC/SLP are sisters and the co-owners of Johnson Therapeutic, LLC. The company began with the Textured Spoon which was developed by Lori, speech language pathologist. In February 2007, the Textured Spoon was one of 28 products selected by Therapy Times to receive the Most Valuable Product (MVP) award.

The concept of the Textured Spoon is to provide oral-sensory stimulation along with feeding. These spoons are perfect for individuals who exhibit hypersensitivity to certain food textures or decreased oral-sensory awareness while eating. The Textured Spoon features a shallow bowl which offers decreased bolus size and a textured bottom which provides increased sensation to the tongue. The Large Textured Spoon is available in silver to resemble conventional utensils while the Small Textured Spoon has three child friendly colors (orange, purple and teal).

Johnson Therapeutic has now expanded their business to market innovative products designed by parents and specialists that will assist individuals with special needs. Additions to their product line include the Controlled Flow Baby Feeder, Tongue LifteR and Snacker Catcher.

To find out more about the Textured Spoons and additional products offered by Johnson Therapeutic, go to www.johnsontherapeutic.com.

Testimonials:

I would like to thank you for your miraculous product. My little boy spent 6 months in the NICU and other pediatric units during the first year of his life. He was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis at 4 weeks of age and underwent a pylorotomy. Two weeks after the pylorotomy, he began vomiting severely and 8 weeks later, we were forced to do a nissen fundoplication and G-tube placement. He began to refuse the bottle and stopped eating all together. Our speech therapist came across the Textured Spoon and he ate like a different child. He was opening his mouth and utilizing his lips and tongue. We are still working on different foods and textures, but attribute his eating to you and your wonderful product.

Mary is a 3 year old who is primarily G-tube fed. She has poor oral-motor organization and low tone. After using the Textured Spoon I found that she had improved tongue cupping and was able to take consecutive bites more quickly. The Textured Spoon seemed to increase her sensory awareness during eating and improve the overall quality of spoon-feeding.