Oral Motor Skills Disorder in Children

Oral motor skills involve the functioning of the mouth muscles including how strong and coordinated they are, their range of motion and how well they manage food manipulation. Poor oral motor skills can affect nutritional intake and put a child at risk for aspiration and choking. If a child exhibits any of the following behaviours, this may indicate an oral motor skills disorder. 

• Inability to physically chew solid foods, leading to a delay in the introduction of dietary textures
• Delay in feeding milestones (e.g. from sippy cup to open cup)
• Slow or ineffectual chewing
• Food remaining in mouth
• Food falling out of mouth
• Gagging while attempting to eat
• Coughing or choking while attempting to eat
• Consumes very little food