Early Feeding/Oral Motor Assessment
BREAST/BOTTLE FEEDING, ORAL RESTRICTIONS/TONGUE TIE, ORAL MOTOR DYSFUNCTION
What is the importance of Early Oral Motor/Feeding Skills?
This assessment is used by Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) to evaluate oral motor development, non-nutritive pre-feeding skills, and nutritive feeding skills. Oral motor development refers to the use and function of the lips, tongue, jaw, teeth, and the hard and soft palates. The range of movement, strength and coordination of these structures is is essential in speech production, safe sucking/swallowing, and consuming a variety of textures and for feeding tasks such as tongue lateralization, sucking, munching, licking, and swallowing. Oral motor skills also play a big role in the development of facial expressions, facial symmetry, sleep patterns and orthodontry.
The Development of Oral Motor Skills
Oral motor skills begin to develop in the womb and are fully functional by 3 years of age. Difficulties in the development of oral functions can lead to:
- Inability to latch onto a breast or bottle
- Excessive drooling
- Milk Leakage
- Difficulty with speech articulation
- Open-Mouth posture
- Snoring/apnea
- Inconsistent eating habits
- Decreased range of motion in the tongue
- Difficulty sucking, swallowing, and chewing
A comprehensive oral motor examination includes examination of:
- Breathing/Respiration Patterns
- Oral Habits (thumb, pacifier)
- Craniofacial/orofacial appearance (ie; symmetry,posture, growth patterns) and function of related muscles
- Hard and soft tissues of the mouth
- Tongue function, appearance, and rest position
- Chewing, drinking, and the oral phase swallow
- Identification of Oral Restrictions (lip or tongue tie)
- Infant feeding at breast or bottle
- Structure and function of lips, tongue, cheeks
Following assessment, you will receive:
- A review of assessment findings
- Referrals to additional necessary providers
- Possible presentation of a treatment plan
Learn More
Early identification and intervention of Oral Motor and Early Feeding skills is critical. If you are concerned about your child’s oral motor/feeding development, speak with your pediatrician. In many cases, your doctor will refer you to a specialist known as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), or Speech Therapist to address oral motor/feeding concerns.