The Sense: Mouth

(Oral Sensory/Motor)

What is Oral Sensory/Motor? 

Types of foods (sweet, sour, spicy, salty) and food textures (crunchy, soft, chewy, creamy) for which one may have a preference can help process and organize information as it is received.    Oral input can provide a subtle way to help us stay focus or maintain attention.

What would I see if my child has difficulty with oral  input?

This child may:

o    Chew on non-food items and objects

o    Gag easily with food textures or utensils

o    Show strong preference for certain tastes or textures

o    Dislike food with mixed textures (i.e., cereal with milk)

o    Be unable to blow bubbles or suck through a straw

o    Have prolonged drooling or mouthing objects after no longer developmentally appropriate

What can I do to help support my child at home?

q  Allow snacks during difficulty times as crunching, chewing, and sucking can help calm or organize a child.

q  When a child is chewing on non-edible items, he/she may be seeking sensory input into the jaw to organize or calm. Offer acceptable alternatives, such as aquarium tubing, chew toys, or snack if chewing is destructive.

q  Blowing and sucking activities are great oral motor exercises. These include blowing up balloons, blowing bubbles, and sucking through straws.

q  Vibrating toys are a great source of sensory input, either by the child chewing on the toy or by using the vibration gently on the child’s cheeks or pursed lips.

q  Sour, cold, or crunchy foods are alerting, waking the child up. Warm foods, thick shakes, and water are more calming.