Oral Motor Skills Workshop By An Occupational Therapist

Understanding Oral Motor Skills for Speech, Feeding, and Sensory Development

What you'll learn

Understanding Oral Motor Skills: The role of these skills in speech, feeding, facial expressions, and overall well-being.

Oral Motor and Sensory Processing : How to recognize over-responsive or under-responsive sensory behaviors related to oral motor skills.

Developmental Milestones : Key stages of oral motor development from infancy to school age.

Identifying Challenges: Hands-on oral motor activities to enhance strength, coordination, and sensory responses.

Practical Techniques: Exercises involving breath control, cheek and tongue movements, chewing, and using tools like whistles and chewy tubes.

Requirements

A willingness to learn and engage with evidence-based strategies for supporting oral motor skill development. No prior expertise is required, but a general interest or familiarity with child development, sensory processing, or related topics can be helpful.

Description

This workshop delves into the significance of oral motor skills, which involve the coordination and strength of the muscles in the mouth, lips, tongue, and jaw. These skills are critical for fundamental functions such as eating, speaking, and expressing emotions.Content Highlights:Understanding Oral Motor Skills:Explains what oral motor skills are and their roles in speech development, feeding, facial expressions, oral hygiene, and overall well-being.Discusses the anatomy of facial muscles and their dual role in chewing and making expressions.Oral Motor Skills as Part of Sensory Processing:Connects oral motor skills to sensory systems like tactile, vestibular, and interoceptive systems.Highlights research on how sensory responses influence feeding behaviors and preferences.Milestones in Oral Motor Development:Traces the development of oral motor skills from infancy to school age, emphasizing their evolution and significance during different life stages.Identifying Oral Motor Difficulties:Lists common indicators of oral motor challenges, such as speech delays, feeding issues, and excessive drooling.Oral Motor Activities:Offers practical activities to improve oral motor skills, including exercises like blowing, puffing cheeks, using vibratory stimulation, and chewing on textured foods.Discusses tools like facial vibrators and chewy tubes, with specific exercises targeting breath control, muscle strength, and coordination.Benefits of Oral Motor Activities:Enhanced eating and drinking abilities.Improved speech and language development.Increased muscle strength and coordination.Boosted self-esteem and confidence.Conclusion: The workshop underscores the importance of professional evaluation for concerns about oral motor skills and provides guidance on activities to promote improvement. It emphasizes a holistic approach involving sensory integration and targeted exercises.

Overview

Section 1: Part 1 - Oral Motor and Sensory Processing

Lecture 1 Introduction about this course

Lecture 2 Oral Motor

Lecture 3 Oral motor and Sensory Processing

Lecture 4 Oral Motor Difficulties

Section 2: Questions?¿

Lecture 5 Questions?

Section 3: Part 2- Oral Motor Activities

Lecture 6 Oral Motor Activities

Lecture 7 Benefits of Oral Motor Activities

Lecture 8 Conclusion

Parents, caregivers, or educators interested in supporting children with oral motor skill development. Professionals such as occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, or early childhood educators seeking to enhance their knowledge of oral motor strategies.