The development of oral motor skills begins in the womb and is usually fully developed by 3 years of age. Like many other skills we learn as humans, oral motor development is supported by our primitive reflexes, postural control and physiological milestones which ideally develop in synchronicity.
Oral motor exercises are increasingly becoming more renowned and utilised within peadiatric Occupational Therapy intervention. When we use oral motor exercises within Occupational Therapy sessions, we consider the overall functioning of a child’s mouth, jaw, lips, cheeks, and tongue. Treatment addresses skills around awareness, strength, co-ordination, and endurance of the mouth. Occupational Therapists also address other oral motor skills areas. These include oral manipulation which refers to movements such as chewing foods and drinking liquids, decreased tolerance to textures and swallowing of foods and liquids.
The impact of delayed oral motor skills can play a significant role in determining whether your child will be a successful eater and develop a positive experience with food. When this occurs, OT’s must consider whether the challenge has originated from a sensory processing perspective or oral motor difficulty. When children avoid eating certain textures, they in turn they are limiting the growth and development of their oral motor skills. Moreover, oral awareness and discrimination are then impacted as these skills allow us to control and mobilise foods by chewing and manipulating the various textures. More importantly, oral discrimination is essential for oral safety and function. When this poses as a challenge, children are prone to experiencing food aversions, display sensitivities to textures, tastes, temperatures and are unable to tolerate certain food types.
It’s important to note that your OT will prescribe exercises for your child which are specific to their oral motor needs.
However, below are a list of activities that are fun and interactive ways of working on oral motor skills at home!
- Bubble Monster: fill ½ a bowl of water with 2-3 squirts of dishwashing liquid inside. Give your child a straw and get them to blow out for 3+ seconds. This works on opening up the diaphragm with slow and controlled breaths, alongside working on their oral motor strength.
- Play ‘Simon Says’ in the mirror.
- Explore diverse types of textured utensils to develop your child’s oral discrimination.
- Oral Musical Instruments
- Ping Pong Races: verse your child in a ping pong ball race with a straw and ping pong ball. Get them to lay on their stomach to work on their trunk & postural control in addition to opening up their diaphragm for controlled breathing.
- Incorporate crunchy foods into their diet e.g., carrot, capsicum, celery, apple slices.
