Oral Motor Difficulties in Children
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Understanding Oral Motor Difficulties
Oral motor skills are the movements of the lips, tongue, and jaw used for eating, drinking, and speaking. Oral motor difficulties occur when a child has trouble controlling or coordinating these movements.
How Oral Motor Difficulties Can Affect Daily Activities
You may notice trouble chewing, food staying in your child's cheeks, or drinks frequently spilling from their mouth. Meals may take longer or require more effort. Your child may also struggle with certain speech sounds, but unclear speech can have other causes. Occasional messiness can be part of learning, so your child’s age matters.
How Therapy Can Support Oral Motor Skills
Children’s Therapy Services of Colorado builds therapy goals around your child’s evaluation findings and your family’s priorities. Depending on your child’s needs, therapy may support skills related to eating and drinking, speech, and participation in daily activities.
Your therapist selects activities suited to your child’s age and goals. Play-based practice might include using speech sounds during a favorite game, while mealtime practice may focus on a skill such as drinking from a cup. Your therapist can also suggest ways to support these goals at home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oral Motor Difficulties
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Possible contributors include differences in muscle strength, coordination of movement, or mouth structure. More than one factor may affect a child’s oral motor skills.
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Ask about an evaluation if concerns persist or interfere with everyday routines. Contact your child’s pediatrician promptly if your child coughs during meals, has a wet or gurgly voice afterward, or isn’t gaining weight as expected.
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No. Picky eating can involve preferences or sensitivity to tastes, smells, or textures without an oral motor difficulty. The two can also occur together, so avoiding certain foods doesn’t tell you whether a movement difficulty is involved.
GET STARTED
Ready to Talk With a Pediatric Therapist?
If you have questions about your child’s oral motor skills, eating, drinking, or speech, contact Children’s Therapy Services of Colorado.
Our team can learn more about what you’re noticing and help you understand what type of evaluation or support may be helpful.