When it comes to feeding, oral motor and sensory skills go hand in hand!

What are oral motor skills?

Using the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw to manipulate food and drink efficiently and manage it safely.

What are oral sensory skills?

How the mouth perceives tastes, smells, textures, etc.

So what's the connection?

A child with oral motor deficits will avoid foods they perceive as unpleasant/ difficult to manage and will seek or avoid certain sensory experiences with foods. And the other way around.....A child with sensory issues, will seek or avoid certain foods which limits their opportunities to develop oral motor skills in a variety of textures.

What can dysfunction look like?

Messy eating,

Overstuffing,

Drooling,

Difficulty chewing,

Coughing, gagging

Pocketing food in cheeks,

Avoiding certain textures,

Meltdowns at the meals

Food Refusal

If you have concerns, reach out to a feeding speci:alist for support!

And don't for get to join us live on Thursday 12/8 8:30pm to get all your picky eating questions answered. Hope to see you there!