About Me: Occupational Therapist
Mommy and Inventor

The majority of my adult life has been dedicated to the care and well being of children. I have had a combined twenty-two years of early childhood experience. First as a preschool teacher and administrator and more recently as a pediatric occupational therapist and Infant-toddler developmental specialist.

For those who are unfamiliar with what an occupational therapist actually does I will define it for you.

A occupational therapist is a health care professional who helps people address difficulties that threaten their ability to participate in functional life activities. These activities cover all areas of life and are basic to the fulfillment of roles as worker, parent, spouse, sibling, friend and child. Occupational therapist do this by therapeutic use of work, self-care and play activities to increase independent function, enhance development and prevent disability.

With that said I will move forward and describe why and how I came to inventing the Tip-Stop Toddler Bowl.

Over the years I have worked with a number of children who have had difficulties actually motor planning the physical movements required to feed themselves. One of the greatest hurdles I myself have had to work around was teaching utensil use when the food receptacle was not adhered to the tray surface.

When young children encounter a bowl/plate or what ever full of food it becomes a right of passage to make it become a missile. Most of the children who were capable of learning self-feeding skill had fair strength so now therapy became a keep away game.

I tried using food receptacles with suction cups on the bottom but they always were pulled up and after a few rounds in the dish washer were warped beyond use.

Next I tried Velcro. I love Velcro and use it quite often in my practice. Velcro and food are a real nasty combination. I could usually only use it on a surface once maybe twice before it had to be removed and thrown away. This can get very costly and sanitation always was a concern.

Then last year I had two children one with Autism and the other with Down Syndrome who I was working with on their self-feeding skills. Both were bowl throwers and I was getting frustrated and desperate.

As I was driving and racking my therapeutic-mommy brain it came to me. What if I could design a screw on bowl/plate that screwed onto a base that was adhered to the table surface with water resistant double sided adhesive strips. These strips are super strong and they remove cleanly from most surfaces.

After many trial designs I came up with a bowl/plate that screws onto a circular base. This base is adhered to a eating surface with double sided adhesive strips. Also the bowl has a seal around the base that when engaged with the surface provides a barrier to food substances. When the bowl/plate is removed it can go into the top rack of the dish washer. The circular base can be wiped clean using warm-soapy water without compromising the adhesive.

The base remains on the table/tray and can be used repeatedly. If the base does become removed or loose the adhesive strips are inexpensive and easily found at most hardware or discount stores.

I know that I would of loved to of had this when my son was learning to use a spoon and I will use this countless times in my therapy practice. When a parent can have their hands free and not have to protect their wall, clothes or pets from flying purred carrots it makes for a less stressful more enjoyable meal-time experience.

Tip Stop Bowl

Home Page