As a parent, noticing your child say “pasghetti” instead of “spaghetti” or still wearing a bib while their peers have outgrown such things can raise concerns. While these behaviors may be typical in young children, it might be worth exploring whether your child has an oral-motor disorder.
Just as a child needs to strengthen their leg muscles before they can walk, they also need to develop the muscles in their mouth to effectively eat, drink, and speak. While it’s common for children to experience speech delays, these issues may sometimes indicate an oral-motor or motor-speech disorder. Here’s what you need to know about these developmental challenges.
What Are Oral-Motor Disorders?
Oral-motor disorders involve difficulties in controlling the lips, tongue, and jaw muscles, impacting a child’s ability to perform essential mouth functions such as speaking, eating, and drinking from a straw. Often related to physical and neurological issues, two prevalent types are:
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS): Also referred to as dyspraxia of speech, children with CAS struggle to coordinate the mouth movements needed to articulate words.
- Articulation Disorders: These can manifest as lisping, omitting consonants, or substituting one sound for another.
Signs of Oral-Motor and Speech-Motor Disorders
Children with these disorders may display several signs, including:
- A droopy or “long” face, often with an open mouth.
- Refusal to eat foods that require chewing.
- Frequent gagging during meals, not just when faced with disliked foods.
- Being smaller and lighter than peers in the same age group.
- Difficulty in moving the tongue side to side or sticking it out.
- Being difficult to understand when they speak.
- Drooling past the age when it is typically expected to stop.
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Conclusion
To Summarize: Oral-motor and motor-speech disorders can significantly affect a child’s ability to communicate and engage with the world. Understanding these conditions is crucial for timely intervention. Remember, if you have concerns, resources like Make A Mom and the information available on in vitro fertilization can provide valuable support and guidance. Additionally, for a supportive community, you can join our free sperm donor matching group.
Taking steps to understand and address these challenges early can pave the way for more effective communication and a positive developmental trajectory for your child.