What is an oral motor disorder?
Difficulty with the function of the muscles and structures involved in speech and feeding
May be the result of:
- A physical, structural issue such as cleft palate or tongue-tie
- Prolonged pacifier or sippy cup use, which interferes with natural oral development
- Injury
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- A neurological condition such as cerebral palsy and Down syndrome which includes issues with muscle tone, resulting in dysarthria
Signs of an oral motor disorder include:
- Droopy or “long” face with mouth that frequently hangs open
- Drooling past the age of 18 months
- Speech which is difficult to understand
- Lisped speech
- Difficulty sticking out tongue or moving it from side to side
- Difficulty producing certain consonants or deleting them past age 3
- Refusal to eat certain foods, especially meat or other tough foods to chew
- Frequent gagging when eating
- Open-mouth breathing (may be only when sleeping) and/or snoring
Key components affected by oral motor disorders include:
- Articulation: Difficulty in coordinating and controlling the movements of the lips, tongue, and jaw which can lead to reduced intelligibility
- Chewing: Challenges chewing and manipulating food in the mouth
- Swallowing: Difficulty with coordinated and sequential movements required for safe and effective swallowing
- Facial Expression: Limited control over facial muscles, impacting facial expressions and non-verbal communication
If you suspect that your child may have an oral motor disorder which is impacting articulation and/or feeding, it is important to seek treatment with a speech-language pathologist and/or occupational therapist. We are here to help!
By Kathleen Winger, M.S., CCC-SLP