Oral Motor

Does your child overstuff his/her mouth?
Is your child a picky eater?
Does your child not like having his/her teeth brushed and/or face washed?
Does your child gag easily?
Does your child like foods that are extra hot, spicy or sour?
Does your child have difficulty chewing?
Did your child have difficulty transitioning from breast or bottle to solid foods?
Is your preschooler’s speech not clear?
Is your toddler not yet using words and phrases?

If you answered yes to one or more of the previous questions, your child may be experiencing oral motor difficulty that can affect feeding and/or speech production. Granted, some children may just be picky eaters, but for others this is a symptom of an underlying problem.

Did you know that a normal swallow requires the coordination of many cranial nerves and approximately 26 muscles of the mouth and neck?

Research shows that as infants and toddlers transition from the bottle/breast to spoon feeding and cup drinking, their muscles are doing invaluable work. In this critical phase of development, an infant’s anatomy is changing along with his or her ability to use all of these muscles appropriately for feeding and later for speech. If a child has difficulty during this phase of development, he or she may begin to create compensatory strategies to make up for a lack in coordination of muscle movement.

The good news is that if oral-motor problems are identified early, then appropriate intervention may prevent future problems. An occupational therapist or a speech-language pathologist who specializes in oral-motor/feeding can help families change this cycle. During effective therapy, families participate in the oral-motor/feeding sessions so they can complete exercise and feeding strategies at home on a daily basis. The parents and therapist work as a team to encourage and make the feeding experience pleasant for the child.

If you are concerned that your child may be experiencing oral-motor or feeding difficulty, you may want to consider having your child screened by an Occupational Therapist or Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in these issues.