Make a Silly Face! Oral Motor Imitation: What Is It and Why Should You Target It?

Do you remember the first time your child made that cute little “raspberry” sound? What about the first time he or she blew a kiss of stuck out his or her tongue?  Did you know that these seemingly small (yet adorable) moments are actually important building blocks towards your child’s speech, language, and feeding development?

What are oral motor movements?

Just as we develop gross motor movements (e.g., walking) and fine motor movements (e.g., grasping), we also develop oral motor movements that impact our ability to speak and eat. While any movement made by your lips, tongue, or oral structures are considered an oral motor movement, the following are some specific movements that are beneficial for development as well as highly visual, thus increasing your child’s ability to imitate.

  • Opening mouth: The basis of speech, opening the jaw is imperative for both articulation (speech sounds) and feeding.
  • Lip pucker: “Kissy face.” Lip pucker strengthens lips, which helps with producing bilabial sounds (i.e., /p, b/) as well as controlling food and saliva.
  • Tongue protrusion: Sticking the tongue out helps with a variety of speech sounds (specifically lingual sounds).
  • Tongue lateralization: Moving the tongue from side-to-side helps with a variety of speech sounds, as well as chewing and swallowing food.

How does imitation of these movements impact development?

Imitation of movements, including oral motor movements, is a skill that toddlers master before words emerge. Some children are able to produce specific oral motor movements independently, but have difficulty imitating them on command. While oral motor imitation varies among children, once a child is able to consistently produce the movement independently, we would expect them to imitate it fairly consistently. Continuing to provide repetitive models of the movement you’re eliciting will go a long way in encouraging your child to imitate. If your child consistently has difficulty imitating movements that he or she can produce spontaneously and demonstrates difficulty with speech and language skills, an evaluation could be warranted to determine if he or she is demonstrating some difficulties with motor planning.

How can I target oral motor imitation?

It can actually be quite simple to practice oral motor imitation! The only two things you really need are you and your child; however, there are some tips and tricks to eliciting imitation. If your child is very young, simply engaging with your child by making silly faces is perfect! You can also add oral motor movements to books (e.g., pucker face when reading about a duck, etc.). If your child is an older baby, toddler, or school-aged, the mirror can be a wonderful teaching tool. While I typically prefer low-tech modes of practice, taking silly “selfies” or using apps with photo filters can also be a motivating tool!

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s ability to imitate oral motor movements, reduced oral motor movement, or concerns regarding speech, language, or feeding development, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Sarah Lydon, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Photo Credit: Chayene Rafaela on Unsplash

“My child drools A LOT. Is that normal?”

Everyone knows babies and toddlers drool, but is it possible that it’s too much? How much is too much? What does it mean if they drool excessively? These are all common questions for the families of our little ones who noticeably drool regularly.  There are times where drool is typical and times where it could be a potential red flag for something more concerning; discerning between the two is important for understanding your child’s development!

During the “teething years,” often beginning around six months of age, “a lot” of drool is expected as saliva is released from the mouth in an effort to soothe the baby’s or toddler’s gums as the teeth break through and keep the baby’s mouth healthy. There are no teeth to block the saliva stream at this point, which leaks from the mouth in the form of drool. This typically ends when children finish teething around two to three years of age. Drooling is also necessary for feeding and digestion as it begins to break down foods in the oral cavity and helps lubricate foods to prepare them for swallowing.

While drooling is part of a natural process, it becomes a concern after teething ends or if it is observed in excess, at which point it may be indicative of atypical development. It can sometimes indicate or be a symptom of feeding or swallowing disorders, decreased oral motor tone (hypotonia), decreased oral motor control and coordination, neurological impairment/disability (e.g. cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, childhood apraxia of speech, etc.), speech and language delays, fine motor difficulties (if drooling occurs during small tasks that require intense concentration), or even other health concerns (e.g. infections, sore throats, allergies, etc.).

Depending on the underlying cause(s) of your child’s drooling, an interdisciplinary team can assess and often help reduce the drooling of your child. After consulting with a physician to rule out any medical concerns, talking to a dentist may provide more insight to potential structural concerns and subsequent treatment options. For underlying neurological impairments, a team including, but not limited to, a physician, dentist, and speech-language pathologist may be able to provide ongoing treatment plans to address drooling and concurrent concerns. For decreased oral motor strength and control, a speech-language pathologist can often incorporate oral motor exercises into feeding therapy in order to improve muscle strength and movement of the oral structures in and around the mouth.  Oftentimes, drooling seen with speech and language delays may also decrease as the child’s awareness and control of oral motor functions increase. They can often benefit from speech and language therapy along with increased verbal and visual cues from caregivers and a speech-language pathologist.

If you have further concerns, contact your local physician, dentist, or speech-language pathologist to discuss if concerns are warranted, to identify potential underlying medical concerns, and to help develop a treatment plan.

Photo Credit

Therese Schmidt, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

When to Skip the Sippy Cup

Many parents love sippy cups- they are great for “on-the-go” days and avoiding spills and messes! However, the problem with sippy cups is that prolonged and frequent use can impact a child’s development of speech and feeding skills. Below are three reasons why you may consider skipping the sippy cup:

  1. Tooth decay: Constantly sipping on anything that is not water can lead to tooth decay because the child does not have the opportunity to rinse away the sugars from the juice or milk with their own saliva. The acid from the drink may break down the tooth enamel leading to tooth decay. If you are going to use sippy cups for anything besides water, it is best to limit to only meal times and to take breaks with water to rinse your child’s teeth.
  2. Oral-motor delays: At around 12-months, a baby’s swallowing pattern matures from a front to back swallowing pattern to a more advanced swallowing pattern where the tongue raises to the top of the mouth and starts a wave-like motion for swallowing. It is important for babies to move to this new swallowing pattern as it allows them to transition from soft solids and liquids to more advanced foods and textures. When using a hard-spouted sippy cup, the sprout rests on the front of the tongue impeding the ability of the tongue to elevate to the top of the mouth. When a child uses a hard-sprouted sippy cup for a prolonged period of time, it can impact their ability to develop a mature swallowing pattern necessary for chewing and swallowing age-appropriate foods.
  3. Speech and language delays: Prolonged use of a sippy cup can impact a child’s ability to develop a mature swallowing pattern which means that their oral-motor skills may not be well-developed. Decreased oral-motor skills may lead to a greater likelihood that the child has difficulty saying and imitating certain sounds.

Other options? A great alternative to the sippy cup is a straw cup. There are some great options for spill-proof straw cups at most stores. Straw cups can offer the same “on-the-go” convenience of a sippy cup while still promoting appropriate oral-motor development!

Claire Kakenmaster, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist