Special Needs

Oral Motor Skills Evaluation

DD started physical therapy today and her PT wants to have an occupational therapist evaluate her oral motor skills. We're dealing with failure to thrive. She's seeing a gastroenterologist at children's hospital next week to rule out any GI causes
Has anyone been though an oral motor eval? What was it like? Thanks

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Re: Oral Motor Skills Evaluation

  • Generally it's a speech language pathologist not an OT that deals with oral motor issues. Some SLP's actually specialize in feeding issues. We go to one at a local university. My DS1 with ASD also has moderate oral motor dysphasia and he only eats crunchy foods. Basically he has low tone in his mouth and a lack of coordination. When he was evaluated the SLP has me bring his regular snacks and watched him eat. She also tried to get him to eat challenging foods for him and watched carefully when he gagged (he gags a lot). She also watched his tongue move in his mouth and felt inside his cheeks. He is beginning specific oral motor feeding therapy in January. I don't know what they will look for in a baby who isn't on solid food but I would have a bottle prepared so they can watch her eat. Hope that helps!


    DS1: 4/15/2011
    Dx: ASD, SPD and receptive and expressive speech delay at 21 months
    BFP #2: CP 5/2012
    DS2: 4/24/2013
    BFP #4: Miscarriage at 5 weeks 7/2014
    BFP #5: 8/8/2014 Due 4/20/2015 
    Its a healthy girl!!!!! 
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  • In my school the OTs deal more with the feeding aspect, oral-motor including chewing and sensory. I (SLP) deal more with the swallowing safety aspect/watch for aspiration, but the designations probably change with where you go, and our oral motor team meets regularly so OT and Speech are on the same page regarding strategies. Both are qualified to handle the feeding aspect.
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  • But to answer the original question, the therapist will check muscle tone, movements, may do parts of a cranial nerve exam, watch drinking and eating of different textures or liquid thickness if necessary. They will take a lengthy history and try to figure out problem patterns.
  • My son had one with an SLP and consequently 6 months of feeding therapy. He was almost 3 at the time though so i'm guessing the eval was done pretty differently. 
    fraternal twin boys born january 2009
  • Thanks for your response. DD doesn't take bottles at all so we've been supplemetnkmg with an SNS with mild success. She seems to get really irritated with the tube in her mouth. She's typically taking in 1.5-2 oz during a feeding including 15ml of formula.

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  • I am on mobile, so I can't see your daughter' sage but gathering from other comments that she is pretty young.

    My daughter had an evaluation at two weeks old because a lactation consultant noticed that she seemed to have an uncoordinated swallow. The SLP had us bring her bottles and observed, palpated and listened (with a stethoscope) to her throat while she drank a bottle. She also had us try a few other specialty nipples with her to observe how she handled drinking from them.

    In the end she also had a swallow study done (barium x-ray) and was diagnosed as penetrating into her airway (not full-on aspirating) when swallowing. We ended up with an NG tube and eventually a G tube. We did 3 months of feeding therapy and she now drinks thickened formula from a bottle.
    DS1: 09.12.10
    DS2 & DD1: 01.14.13
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