How to Diagnose and Treat Oral Motor Disorders- Oral motor disorders affect the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat, which leads to difficulty in eating, speaking, and other important functions. The oral motor disorder can have moderate to severe impact leading to problems with cheating, swallowing, and communicating effectively. This treatment aims to improve functional abilities thus improving the quality of life.
Diagnosing the cause and knowing the cure is important for supporting the lives of individuals who are affected by these challenges. The accurate and early diagnosis of any disease can significantly help in improving the quality of life of an individual. This blog by Zeneth Healthcare aims to provide a detailed overview of How to Diagnose and Treat Oral Motor Disorders including their features and benefits.
Signs Of Oral Motor Disorders
The signs of oral motor disorders may differ from person to person depending on their medical condition. If you experience problems with speech, or feeding consult a doctor immediately. A pediatrician will guide you best and will help you diagnose the cause of your child’s symptoms. Some of the symptoms are mentioned below:-
- Eating slowing
- Slow or slurred speech
- Refusing to eat or chew hard foods like fruits, meat, or vegetables
- Not gaining weight
- Difficulty in saying complex and long words
- Choking or coughing during meal times
- Unable to swallow drinks or food items
- Difficulty Sucking from straws or bottles
- Holding open lips or mouth
- Preference for easily chewable and soft food items
Treatment For Oral Motor Disorders
There are many techniques and specialized tools that are effective in the treatment fir oral motor disorders. Knowing the root cause is crucial for healthcare professionals for effective treatment. Here are some of the treatments that are useful for patients suffering from oral motor disorders:-
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy involves saying certain phrases, words, or sounds repeatedly till they get easy to pronounce and form correctly. Co-production is a technique that is mostly used during this process. Speech therapies usually include:-
- Speech Drills- It is the practice of repeating certain sounds and speech to improve clarity.
- Oral Motor Exercises- It is a coordination and strengthening exercise for lips, jaw, and tongue.
- Articulation Therapy- This involves practicing several sounds and word patterns.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy involves coordination, strengthening, and muscle functioning which is involved in swallowing and speech. Most physical therapies include
- Muscle Tine regulation- It is an exercise to normalize the muscle tone, too high or too low.
- Positioning & Posture- This is used to improve the body posture which is important to support eating and speech.
Dietary Alteration
It is very important for individuals suffering from oral motor disorders to modify their diet and eat safer, enjoyable, and easy to chew. These changes in diet often help in swallowing, chewing, and controlling different food textures. Some common dietary alterations include
- Nutritional Supplements- Make sure to add all the nutritional supplements to the diet as certain foods are difficult to eat. Also, you can include foods dense in calories that have reduced intake due to eating difficulties.
- Texture and Consistency Changes- Adjust the texture of the food so that it is easy to chew and swallow.
Psychological Support
Psychological support is important to ensure that it does not impact the emotional being, self-esteem, and social interaction of an individual. Here are some approaches and resources for providing psychological support
- Support Groups- Connecting with other support groups who are facing similar issues helps in advice and shared experiences with each other. Counseling-
- Counseling for individuals with oral motor disorder plays an important role as it helps in building self-esteem, provides emotional support, and also helps in developing social skills
How to Diagnose Oral Motor Disorder?
Diagnosing oral motor disorders involves a throughout assessment by a team of experts including medical doctors, neurologists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists. This disorder involves coordination and movement difficulties related to the mouth, face, muscles, and throat. Also, it impacts swallowing, chewing, and speech. The process for diagnosing oral motor disorders involves various consultations and detailed assessments. Here are some major steps involved in the diagnostic process of oral motor disorder:-
Medical History
Knowing the medical history of the patient plays a crucial role in identifying the underlying condition, developmental issues, and previous interventions. A detailed consultation between doctors and the patient can help gather information about onset, symptoms, and impact on daily life.
Swallowing and Feeding Evaluations
Observing patients during their meal time can help identify if they have a problem. While swallowing, chewing, or managing liquid or food. To identify this issue a test is conducted known as the Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBSS), in which the patient swallows a barium-coated substance while X-rays are taken to visualize the swallowing process.
Cognitive & Behavioral Assessment
Assessing cognitive functions like thinking reasoning, and language that affect communication and oral motor skills. Observing any kind of behavioral issues that strike oral motor disorders such as aversion to certain textures or foods.
Conclusion
Diagnosing and treating oral motor disorders needs an exhaustive individual approach. The accurate and early diagnosis of any disease can significantly help in improving the quality of life of an individual. Effective treatment plays a crucial role in improving muscle strength, coordination, and functional abilities. With the help of professional support and dedicated practice, significant progress can be made in managing the challenges faced with oral motor disorders.
