Tons of oral motor exercises for toddlers and kids that can easily and naturally be used in the home. Plus, get a free downloadable PDF!
I’m getting a little bit technical in this post, as I tell you about the powerful, but often unheard of, oral motor exercises. Unless you happen to have a child in feeding or speech therapy, then you’ve probably not heard the term before. It’s very common lingo in both occupational and speech therapy. I’m taking the time to talk about oral motor exercises because using them can absolutely transform how your child eats, if they won’t eat a variety of foods or if your baby/toddler is having a hard time transitioning to table foods.
The problem is that oral motor exercises don’t help in every instance of extreme picky eating or babies that won’t eat. To know if they’re going to be helpful for your child, we’ll need to do some detective work. To begin with, you’ll need to think about what and how your child eats. I think an example might help here, so I’m going to tell you about a little boy, Micheal, that was having difficulty eating. He was 12 months old when his mother came to me for help.
Micheal’s mother desperately told me that he wouldn’t eat foods. Then, she corrected herself, and said, “Well, he tries to eat some foods, but all of the food comes right back out of his mouth.” Aha, it’s an important clue that Micheal was trying to eat and not just flat out refusing (we’ll get to why in a minute). I learned that Micheal was taking all sorts of soft cooked veggies and fruits, putting them into his mouth, seemingly chewing them for a long time, and then they would haphazardly fall out of his mouth.
Micheal would also accept some pureed foods and had done okay eating baby foods, but mostly seemed indifferent to the whole experience.
His mother was stressed.
Confused.
In Micheal’s case, oral motor exercises were a perfect strategy to help him learn to eat better! And, they helped a lot, combined with other strategies for helping babies learn to eat finger foods. Within a few weeks, Micheal was eating 5-7 new foods, and they weren’t falling out of his mouth! (Read more about how to transition baby and toddlers to table foods.)
If Micheal hadn’t received some additional help with his oral motor skills, he might have continued to struggle to eat. His family would have done their best, guessing what to do at each turn. He may have grown into a 1, 2, 3 year old, or older with serious picky eating challenges. At some point, his oral motor skills likely would’ve gotten at least a little better, but many other layers would’ve been added to the picky eating problem, making it hard to unravel.
What could’ve happened is a story I see in front of me all the time.
Of course, Micheal’s story is just one example of how helpful oral motor exercises can be, and they certainly aren’t just for babies or toddlers. Children of all ages may benefit from them.
Before we begin, keep a look out for the Feeding Therapy and oral motor exercises downloadable PDF at the end of the post and you’ll get a bonus: Food Diary Log.
What Does Oral Motor Mean Exactly?
Oral motor refers to how we use the muscles inside of our mouth. This includes the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw. They are all parts of our mouth and are tied to tons of muscles, and just like any muscle, it can be strong or weak. Coordinated or not coordinated.
We need our oral motor skills to be able to talk, eat, or drink from a straw. They aren’t something most of us give much thought to, but they are very important.
Signs a Child May Need Oral Motor Exercises
This is where we’ll start our detective work! Below, I’m going to list common signs you might see if your child has either some difficulty coordinating their oral motor skills or underlying weakness. It’s important to note that you’re looking for several signs to be present to point towards your child benefiting from oral motor exercises.
Also, this is not any sort of diagnosis. If you’re concerned about your child’s oral motor skills, I’d highly recommend a feeding therapy evaluation or if your child is under three and you live in the U.S., you may qualify for a free in-home evaluation from your state’s early intervention program.
For the feeding therapists, OT’s, or SLPs, that have to assess feeding, you know it can be hard to find a good screening tool. If that’s the case for you check out The Picky Eating Hierarchy: Screening Tool to Identify Feeding Difficulties and Treatment Plan in our shop.
Here are some red flags that oral motor skills needs some attention:
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- Food falling out of mouth while trying to eat
- Difficulty chewing
- Mashes food with tongue
- Sucks on food instead of chewing
- Will hold food in mouth, sometimes for hours (often referred to as “pocketing food“, there are other reasons children do this, as well)
- Gagging on food after it’s been in mouth (not immediately or at the sight of food, check out this guide on baby gagging)
- Mouth is often in an open position
- Tongue hangs out of mouth
- Difficulty sticking tongue out
- Never chewed on toys or teethers as a baby
- Difficulty learning to eat table and finger foods as a baby and toddler
- Preference for certain texture of food (Crunchy or soft)
- Difficulty drinking from a straw (if over 24 months old)
- Drooling (only consider when combined with other factors on this list, as drooling has many different potential causes. Learn more about when your child is too old to drool here)
How to Use Oral Motor Exercises with Kids
If your child is in feeding or speech therapy, you may see their therapist practice oral motor exercises for a certain amount of repetitions or over a period of time. And, if you’ve been told to follow through on that at home, then please follow the direction of your therapist first.
For many toddlers though, it’s nearly impossible to get them to sit and complete “exercises”. And, for older children, it may start to feel like a chore. If it does, they likely aren’t going to try very hard or they’re going to rush to get through them, not really reaping the full benefit. That’s why I like to use oral motor activities in their play as much as possible.
This is actually pretty easy to do. Once you learn about what the oral motor exercises are below, you can either make a list (or print mine out), gather any simple supplies you might need, and have them on the ready. You may decide to have a basket of these items out for your child to engage with at any time, or maybe to set up a time everyday that you play with the oral motor toys.
I don’t like to call it “exercise” time, unless I have to. Ideally, I like to just use oral motor exercises as part of a routine. For instance, I might find some time I can focus on them after breakfast each day for 10 minutes, where I get down on the floor and be silly with the ideas and toys below. Or, I might try if I had a 15 minute commute after daycare or school (most of the exercises can be done easily in the car). Giving your child the chance to do oral motor exercise everyday or a couple times a week can have a big impact.
Doing these activities with your child and demonstrating is very important, too! Kids that need oral motor exercise are having a hard time using those muscles and they can’t see what they’re doing. Watching you literally helps them see what they need to do. Plus, it’s more fun and motivating. You can also try the activities in front of mirror!
You may work on oral motor exercises for weeks, months, or in some cases, years. You’ll know you don’t need to do them anymore when they’re able to complete them easily and they are able to chew foods well or their speech has significantly improved.
Transforming Oral Motor Exercises for Toddlers and Children
As you look through the list below, you’ll see the exercises organized by the different parts of the oral system: tongue, cheeks, jaw strength, lips. Children may have difficulty or need strengthening in all of the areas or they may need to focus on just one particular muscle.
If you see your child has no problem completing certain groups of these exercises, there’s probably not a weakness there! When they struggle to complete them, that’s usually a sign they need more help in that area. However, some activities aren’t developmentally appropriate at all ages. For instance, a 13 month old isn’t usually capable of blowing bubbles, but a 2 year old is. I will indicate ages next to the exercises.
Lastly, keep in mind, there’s a lot of overlap between the different exercises and the muscles they target.
Affiliate links used below. See our full disclosure.
Tongue Exercises:
Use a vibrating toothbrush to brush teeth (stimulates tongue movement)
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- I like this smaller one for babies and toddlers. Note that vibration can be intense sensory input, if your child refuses, take baby steps to help them get used to the sensation. Never force.
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- Licking popsicles or lollipops outside of the mouth
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- Placing applesauce, yogurt, or pudding on the corners of the mouth and having kids lick off. (Mirrors are helpful if your child struggles with this one.)
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- Click or cluck tongue
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- Sing “La, la, la”
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- Try to touch tongue to tip of nose (it doesn’t matter if they can’t get there, the tongue in that direction is what matters)
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- Blow raspberries
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- Count teeth with tongue
Lip and Cheek Exercises:
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- Blowing air kisses
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- Drinking through a straw (Learn how to teach babies and toddlers to drink from a straw from as early as 9 months old)
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- Experiment with thicker textures like milkshakes and even applesauce to make it more challenging
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- Hold a small carrot stick or other food in between the teeth without using teeth to hold it steady
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- Make silly faces
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- Fish lips (ages 3 and up)
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- Make “O” shape with lips
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- Spread lips far apart
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- Kiss lips
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- Blow fish face, with cheeks puffed out
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- Blow bubbles (20 months plus)
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- Humming
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- Pick a nursery rhyme that your child likes and try humming it together
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- Play a harmonica
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- Smack lips together
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- Blow whistles (easy one’s can be used from about 18 months and older)
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- There are a ton of whistles out there, many are very affordable. These “lip kazoos” are very easy and a great place to start.
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- Other whistles like these blowers are more challenging.
Jaw Exercises:
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- Bite on a vibrating toy.
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- Baby teethers can work if they fit in your child’s mouth.
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- Handheld massagers can even be held to the jaw for a few seconds at a time to stimulate the muscles.
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- These animal jigglers are designed to go inside your child’s mouth and can even be used as utensils. Kids are often motivated to bite on the chewy texture. Therapists love them (I always had one in my therapy bag).
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- For the most intensive vibration, therapists may use a z-vibe. These are very powerful and should be used carefully, making sure you child is comfortable with the sensation. Vibration is very stimulating to the muscles in short bursts of 3-5 seconds, but starts to relax the muscles after that point. Watch for your child’s reactions.
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- Use a mesh bag (found in the baby department) to chew on foods directly on the molars.
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- We want kids to chew directly on their molars, or where they will be, on the back of their gums. Hold (or have them hold) the mesh bag and chew while keeping it in place. I love to put frozen grapes or strawberries in the bag, but use a food you think your child will enjoy!
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- Chew on molars with chewy foods
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- Dried mango strips
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- Beef jerky
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- Licorice
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Some children LOVE oral motor exercises and want to do them all the time. That’s because there is a sensory component to how oral motor exercises feel. The texture, the taste, and the smell. These exercises can be very stimulating. At the same time, some kids will avoid these activities solely because of the sensations they experience. If you think your child falls into either of these camps, then head to Everything You Need to Know About Oral Sensory.
Ideas for Oral Motor Therapy
Sometimes kids need some extra motivation, and these are some bonus ideas that take the oral motor exercises to the next level. Perfect for therapists to use during therapy or parents looking for some more creative ideas. I’m constantly finding new ideas and pinning them on our Pinterest boards.
Here are some of my favorites:
If as a therapist, you need to regularly or occasionally assess a child’s oral motor skills, The Picky Eating Screen Tool in our shop, covers all this and more. It’s invaluable to have on hand!
Want to Print Out a List of These Oral Motor Exercises?
I’m thinking it might be helpful to print a list of the oral motor exercises above! So, I made one for you. You can grab the Feeding Therapy and Oral Motor Exercises Pack here! Plus, I added a Food Diary Bonus to utilize to track any child’s eating! All of these are great to start today!
If you have any questions about oral motor therapy or exercises leave them below in the comments, I’m happy to help!
More on Oral Motor for Kids and Toddlers
Everything Oral Sensory: The Total Guide
The BEST Strategy for Picky Eating
Transitioning Your Baby (or Toddler) to Table Foods
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Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 19 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Please send me a copy of your oral motor exercises.
Thank you!
Sheri,
I just sent to the email you have listed here. Be sure to check spam and promotions as it sometimes gets sorted into this folders.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Dear Laura Mau
Hi
May I ask you to send me the PDF of your exercises. I have a 2 year lld son who has delayed speech and refusing to eat and lack of weight. I think this may help him.
Thanks in advance
Hi Sara, Sure thing. Sending to the email you have listed here! Make sure to check your spam and promotions folders if you don’t see it!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table OT
could I also get the guide sent to me? I tried signing up for emails but unfortunately, they’re not making it to me 🙁 I have a 10-month-old that refuses anything other than formula. she will take in the first spoonful of food and then refuse the rest. I feel so helpless. She is seeing a food therapist soon but there’s a chance that insurance might not cover.
Hi Lina,
I manually entered your email so if you still have trouble finding it (make sure to check spam/promotions) shoot an email to hello@yourkidstable.com and we will get your squared away!
Muchas gracias por tanta información útil!! Quisiera tener la guía de ejercicios por favor.
Please send a copy of the PDF for your activities. They look like they will be very helpful for our 15 month old!
Just sent to the email you have listed here! Make sure to check your spam/promotions just in case.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Izinkan saya mendapatkan salinan file ini. Terimakasih
Hello,
Can I please get a copy? I tried the link provided and it is not working. Thank you! this looks like a wonderful resourse
Hello, can I get a copy please.
Thank you in advance
Hi Reem,
I just sent it to the email listed here.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Hi Laura,
May I please request for a copy of this too.
Thank you.
Regards,
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
I just sent to the email listed here. Be sure to check spam and promotions to make sure it didn’t accidentally get filtered into those sections.
Best,
Laura
hi.can i get a copy please
Just sent!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Hi can i get the copy please, thank you so much
Hi wondering if I can please have the pdf copy for this resource! Thanks so much.
Just sent to your email!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Hi! Could I please get a copy? The download link is not working for me. Thank you so much for this resource!
Rachel,
I just sent a copy to the email you have listed here. Let me know if you still can’t see it!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Hello! Can I please get a copy? The download link is not working for me and this looks like a wonderful resource! Thank you!
Hi Alyssa,
I just sent the printable to your email listed here! Enjoy.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Please send a compete copy in my email. My son is 4 years old. I am from India
Hello there, I just sent a copy of the printable to the email you have listed here.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Hi can I get a copy please:
Hi Zahida,
I just sent a copy to the email you have listed here.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Hello, can I get a copy please?
Thanks in advance.
Just sent to your email, Rena!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Ola, gostaria de uma cópia dos exercícios. Poderia me enviar?
Hello. Can you please send me the PDF as well. Thanks so much!
HIii I would like the PDF as well please. I am an occupational therapist.
Hi Elaine, I just sent it to the email you have listed here. Please let me know if you don’t get it and make sure to check your promotions and spam folder just in case.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Can you please send me the pdf version?
Tasneem,
I just sent it to the email listed here. Be sure to check your spam or promotions folder!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Please send me the oral motor skills exercise.
One yr old puts food in mouth chews the tongue pushes it back out.
Hi Carol,
I sent the printable to your email listed here. Be sure to check your “spam” and “promotions” folders if you don’t see it.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Please send the pdf
Hi Lea, I just sent the printable to the email you listed here. If you still can’t see it, please send an email to ykthello1@gmail.com for more assistance.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Please send the pdf file. Although, I submitted my name and email but i did not receive email. Already checked the spam folder.
Please send the pdf file.
Hi Marium, I just sent to the email listed here. If you still don’t see it, send a message to ytkhello1@gmail.com and we can assist you there.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Thanks for the ideas–we can never have enough it seems! Karin, SLP
Thanks, Karin! We love having fellow therapists here and we hope you’re able to use some ideas with your clients.
Best,
Laura, Your Kid’s Table team member
I am an SLP and did not receive the therapist or parent handouts.
Hi Meg, I just re-sent the printable link to your email address listed here. Make sure you check the promotions folder just in case it went there. If you still don’t see it, feel free to email support at ykthello1@gmail.com and we can help you locate it there!
Best,
Laura, Your Kid’s Table team member
Please email me the pdf for this as my daughter really struggles with tongue movements and is speech delayed. Thank you so much!
Hi Rabia! I sent the PDF to your email- be sure to also check your spam folder!
Best,
Kalyn
Can you please send me the list.
Christine,
I just sent the printable to the email you have listed here. If you still don’t see it (be sure to check promotions/spam) shoot us an email at ykthello1@gmail.com and we’ll get it to you.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
HI MY DAUGHTER IS 3 year old.she is not swallod food.she cried alot when i try to give her solid food.she not chewing even rice.she swallowed it not chewing any more.please advise me how vcan i improve chewing .what isthe techniue we used
Hi Parneet! Any of the oral motor exercises listed above can help her with chewing and swallowing. For more tips for chewing, check out this post. Also, because of her age, refer to your doctor so they can examine for any medical issues interfering with chewing/swallowing.
Best,
Kalyn
As an SLP, I was very interested in this PDF. Please send. Thank you. Amazingly, I am seeing more and more children with these issues.
Hi Jolene! I sent the PDFs to your email- be sure to also check your spam folder!
Best,
Kalyn
Hu Alisha, it’s very interesting topic. Please send the pdf. Thank you
Hi Anang! I just sent it to your email- be sure to check your spam folder too! Please let us know if it still doesn’t go through 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
I would also like the parent and therapist pdf!
Hi Bella! Both were sent to your email! Be sure to also check your spam folder. Let us know if you dont receive them within 24 hrs 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
Hi I haven’t received the pdf. Is there anyway I can get it through a link. Both the therapist and parent one please
Hi Fatoumata! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
hello as a speech pathologist i would love this kind of material as a PDF! please send it to me!! thank you
Hi Vanessa! It will arrive in your inbox- make sure to also check spam folder!
Best,
Kalyn
I didn’t receive the handout either. Thanks!
Hi Jessica! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi. I would love the PDF as well but the link was not sent to my email.
Hi Kristine! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Could I get this handout? It is not sending to me.
Hi Tori! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
I desperately need help with my little one. He has been seeing a feeding therapist for a little over 2 months now. He was making progress by chewing on the tools for the z-vibe. He seems to be a lil stronger on the left side of his mouth compared to the right. He learned to spit food out if he doesnt like it where before he would flip out screaming and crying. He use to be really good eating anything puree. He use to lick/suck icecream and frozen
Popsicles smoothies. Recently I feel like he is back tracking. Its a chore now just to get him to eat purees. Constant screaming and smacking the spoon out of my hand. I don’t want to force him to eat but I also don’t want him to get out of eating. If I only gave him a bottle he will judt take that. He doesn’t do puffs, teething crackers, veggie straws OR ANY BABY SNACKS. I have to fight to place a puff on the inside of his cheek and try to use the zvibe to encourage him to chew. He Freaks out!!
He will hold a chip or pretzel and maybe lick or suck it. He was never really into pacifiers or teething rings. His dad and I both encourage him to play with the food even if he doesnt want to eat but unsuccessful most days. We both do a lot of demonstration. I have tried everything. I spend hours researching and trying new things. For example dipping carrots sticks into puree carrots, feeding with different spoon texture, mashing steamed carrots. I feel he doesnt have the ability to chew and so worried he will never figure it out.
Outside of his oral sensory issues and motor skills he He does have a lip tie which the therpaist has mentioned could be part of the problem. We are going to get it fixed but im still concerned that even then he will still refuse table foods. I dont want to do really intense work as i think it may make matters worse and him hate feeding time more than he already does.
Hi Juju! So sorry to hear about your son’s struggles! It’s great that he is currently in feeding therapy and is making progress! Definitely continue with that and also consult your pediatrician to make sure his swallowing is okay. In the meantime, try these oral motor exercises and also try sensory bins! Definitely don’t force or pressure- this will only make it worse. Keep offering and allowing him to touch/feel/play with food and different textures. We have a free table food workshop that I think would be very helpful with offering more tips and information! Save your seat here.
Best,
Kalyn
This is great! Thanks for sharing! I didn’t not see the pdf in my email 💚 is there a different way to download the list? This is a great resource!
Hi Nalini! I sent the PDF directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello, can I too have a pdf file with exercises received by email please?
Hi Nadia! I sent the PDF directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi there, I am an SLP and I would love to review the oral motor PDF for professionals, but the link did not send to me. Are you able to send it via email?
Hi Sarah! I sent the PDF directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi Kalyn,
The link didn’t work for me either. Can you please send it to my email?
Thanks
Hi Dhahir! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi Kalyn,
Your website is brilliant with lots of practical tips and advice.
I would love to access the printout on oral motor skills to practice with my little one. I’ve tried to get it emailed but hasn’t worked. Would you mind sending to me? Thanks so much💜
Hi Roisin! Thanks for reaching out and sharing such great feedback! I sent the printable directly to your email 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
The parent oral motor print out will not load for me. Are you able to send it in an email? Thank you!
Hi Jaclyn! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
My child is 16 months and he is now refusing meals as of this week. He likes purées and pouches but I’m trying to get him away from those. He has tried a few table foods (very picky) but this week has been rough. He will only eat snacks and just branched out to eating grapes. I’ve noticed he would pocket food like meats that requires more chewing. He also has a habit of stuffing his mouth with snacks and not always chewing. Please help!
Hi Angie! Thanks for reaching out! Because he is preferring purees and pocketing his food, it could be that he is having difficulty with chewing/swallowing. Those oral motor exercises in the above post can help with that! We also have another blog post dedicated to food pocketing- check it out here for more tips! Hope that helps!
Best,
Kalyn
The link is not working – please send it to my mailbox.
thank you so much
Hi Jenni! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi! The link is not working, can you email me the Oral and Motor free e-book?
Hi Katie! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Oral Motor Exercises printable link is not working for me either. Can I please have a copy please for therapists? Thank you!
Hi Dora! Thanks for reaching out! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
How about a child who can’t drink from a straw when you give drinks
Hi Zalwango! Thanks for reaching out! For tips to help your child learn to drink from a straw, check out this blog post!
Best,
Kalyn
Please send me the oral motor PDF for professionals. The link did no TV work for me. Thanks!
Hi Laurie! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello.. can you sent the email for parents? I already try that link but cant find it.
Thankyou
My baby 8 month old. Keep spitting out every food she bring to her mouth. I need this.
Thankyou
Hi Sherly! I sent you the PDF directly to your email! We also have another blog post that may help with your situation- here 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
The link did not work for me either.. Can I get a copy of the parent and therapist list so that I can share with my families?
Hi Mandy! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi there!
This is all very helpful! I am having difficulty getting the PDF for professionals sent to my email from the link. Can you please send it to my email?
Thanks so much!
Hi Allison! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi team,
I’ve tried the link/email request for a PDF without avail. Very interested in receiving a copy for my 16month old. Thank you in advance
Hi there! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Please e-mail me a pdf of this fantastic article!
Thank you so much!
Jeff
Hello! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
I would really appreciate a copy of this oral motor activity pdf. thanks so much
Hi there! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
I sign up but never received anything
Eating exercise for picky eaters, my boy is 6 years
Hi Yulia! I went ahead and sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi,
Can you provide the link for the animal jigglers you use? The link doesn’t seem to be working.
Hi Andrea, can you please send the printable PDF to my email? Thanks a lot.
Hey Vidhya,
I sent the link to your email! Hope you enjoy!
Best,
Desiree
Could you please email me a copy of the PDF printable? This is an extremely helpful resource, thank you!
Hi Sara! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi! I did not receive the PDF in my email. Can you please send it via email?
Hi there! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
I would love a copy of the PDF. My one year old is having a hard time with solid foods. I’d love to try the Oral Motor Exercises. Thanks!
Hi there! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Can you please send me the PDF, It seems like this will be super helpful! I have a 16 month old that will hold food in his mouth but will not swallow. we have an appointment to see an Early Intervention Specialist next month but I want to try to work on this if I can. I’m a first time mom so everything is new for me + I don’t want my child to not meet his milestones
OHH yes, and I tried to have it sent through your link provided and never got it, so thats why I am asking. just an FYI.
Hi Taylor! Thanks for reaching out! I sent the printable directly to your email. We also have a blog post about food pocketing that might be helpful as well- check it out here!
Best,
Kalyn
Can you please email me the printable pdf for oral motor exercises? Thanks for all of this very helpful info!
Hi Laura! I sent you the printable directly to your email! So glad you found this helpful.
Best,
Kalyn
Hello could not get printable either
Hi there! I sent the printable directly to your email 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
Hi, Can you please send the parent version of the printable to my email? I didn’t receive it. Thank you!
Hi there! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Please send the printable pdf to my email directly, thanks !
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! I sent the printable directly to your email. Hope that helps 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
Hi there! Unfortunately, I didn’t receive the emails either. I checked my spam and it wasn’t there. I would love to add these resources to my internal tool box of things 🙂
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! I sent the printable directly to your email. Hope that helps 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
Hi , I haven’t received oral motor exercises mail . Kindly send to my mail
Hi Sravanthi! I went ahead and sent over that printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
I am not able to download oral motor exercise PDF, not even received in mail,
Please send on the mail directly.
Sent to your email! Hope that helps!
Best,
Desiree
Hi, can you please email the print out? thank you!!
Hi there! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Can download the printables can u plzz email me
Hi there! I sent it directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello,
Can you send me the printable in my email, please?
Hi there! I sent the printable directly to your email!
Best,
Kalyn
Great stuff! But I unfortunately did not receive the PDFs to my email
Hi Rebecca! Thanks for reaching out! I just sent it to your email. If you don’t see it right away, be sure to check your spam folder!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi,
I am having trouble opening the link for the oral motor exercises. Would you be able to send it to my email? Thanks in advance!
Kind Regards,
Paramesh
Hey Paramesh,
I’m sorry it’s given you trouble. Be sure to check your spam and add us to your safe emails. Sometimes our emails like to hide out there! I’ve just sent it to your email though.
Best,
Andrea
Hi! I’m a worried mom! I feel like I’m a bad mom because I guess I allowed my 6 year old to develop bad eating habits growing up. He used to eat a cheese pizza for dinner, grilled cheese for lunch and pop tart or biscuits for breakfast. I added powdered vitamins and probiotics to his beverages a everyday which he does drink all, but I don’t want to always sneak or hide the food. I want him to love the food he eats including texture. I’ve tried boiling small servings of veggies and roughly blending them for a more chunky texture and he just Gags on those savory mixes and throws them up right away. I boiled jasmine rice with fresh herbs and chicken broth, but he just had the broth and though I’m glad the vitamins are in the broth, I want him to eat the pulp and fibers. So we’re making some progress but still! What should I do? He also has a store bought protein/fiber smoothie everyday. I’m using these healthier options to lessen the servings of the unhealthy meals he has everyday.
Hey Elaine!
That sounds really tough! Try not to beat yourself up about it! So many kids are picky eaters. You’re not alone! We always suggest trying to serve at least 1 preferred food during meals and to use no pressure, positive solutions for foods they haven’t started eating yet. Our free picky eating workshop is a great place for you to start getting some ideas. You can save your seat HERE. Let us know if you have any questions!
Best,
Andrea
Hi, My daughter is 5 years old. she has challenges with eating solid food. She is not interested in having her food. Everyday , her mom feeds her 3-4 times a day. She does not take solid food. so the food is crushed in a blender and fed to her. My daughter does not chew the food, she immediately swallows the food. I am very much worried , she is not asking for food and she does not chew her food before swallowing them. When she is given solid food, she spits them out. Even the rice , if it is not crushed well, she picks them out with her hands. Kindly advise , how to get my daughter eat her food well. Your help and assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you
Hey Ashok,
Thanks for reaching out! We know it can be really frustrating when our kiddos don’t get the hang of chewing right away. If you have concerns about her safety while feeding, reaching out to her doctor would be helpful We suggest starting off with a dissolvable solid food such as graham crackers or gerber puffs and then modeling quite a bit of what she should be doing. Our free table foods workshop would be a great place to start. It was created with babies/toddlers in mind- but will still be extremely helpful for your daughter I believe! You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Andrea
Hi,
Im having trouble opening the link for the oral motor exercises. Would you be able to send it to my email? Thanks in advance!
Kind Regards,
Richard
Hey Richard!
Thanks for reaching out. I just sent over the printable of the exercises to you. Let us know if you have any questions!
Best,
Andrea
Hi,
I have an eight year old boy who drools a lot in particular out of one side of his mouth. Nose is quite stuffy a lot of the time as well. Speech therapy hasn’t worked for this so far. Is there anything else I should be looking at?
Stella
Hi Stella! Thanks for reaching out! Drooling can be a common difficulty some children face. It may be related to sinuses, but if you notice it along with eating difficulties, it could be sensory related. (We have more information for that here) You might want to try to bring more sensory awareness to the mouth. One way to do this is through the use of an electric toothbrush. You can use the toothbrush on his teeth and tongue but you can also use it on the inside of his cheeks. This helps give him the extra sensory information he craves and makes his mouth more aware.
Best,
Kalyn
Hello! My son is 22 months old and has went from picky eating to completely shutting off from almost every food! It’s very stressful as I worry that he’s not eating a lot or worrying what I can be doing wrong. He can be so excited for a food but once he puts it in his mouth he’ll spit it all out and get frustrated. Or their be times he’s eating cereal and if one gets on the outside of his lips or on he’ll spit it all out. He was never like this as baby but more so around 18 months I started noticing the less he ate. My question is which certain exercises should I work on with him and how long doing them will I notice a difference in him wanting to try more food? I’m desperate at this point 🙁 I just want my baby healthy and able to enjoy food. Thank you in advance
Hey Natalie,
That can be really tough and of course make us worry when our kiddos stop eating! Since you mentioned that when he gets the food on his lips, he starts to shut down, it might be worth it to check out our article on sensory challenges with feeding, to see if that might be some of what’s going on. You can reach that HERE. If you do think he’s having those challenges, one really helpful suggestion is to focus on teeth brushing 2-3x a days (you can use an electric toothbrush too). That sometimes helps to desensitize the mouth a little bit. I hope that helps get you started!
Best,
Andrea
I’ve tried multiple times to download the PDF – I’ve sent it to a couple of emails I have access to — with no luck.
Hey Mel,
Be sure to check your spam folder! Sometimes it hides out there. I’ve also sent you an email with it as an attachment. I hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hi I was wondering if these exercises could also help with a tongue tie? My toddler as a little lisp, where her tongue goes between her teeth and air escapes from the sides of her mouth. Just wondering if the things listed could possibly help her with that?
Hi Bunny,
Thanks for reaching out! The oral motor exercises will help her gain strength in her tongue and surrounding muscles in her mouth. It will also be helpful in encouraging her to use the full range of motion in her tongue that is possible. The exercises won’t create additional range of motion that is restricted if she has a tie. Every tongue tie is very different and specific to each kiddo. It might be helpful to reach out to her doctor or a therapist with experience with tongue ties to help you figure out an approach that will work well for her. I hope that helps answer your question!
Best,
Andrea
Hello!
Do you have exercises that help the baby lift their tongue up? Mine is 13 months and she doesn’t always lift her tongue up.
Hey Amanda,
Tongue tip elevation can be a tricky skill for some to learn, especially little ones! Making silly faces in a mirror (trying to touch your nose, roof of mouth etc) with her can be really helpful! Showing her how to do it in an overexaggerated way is also great.
Best,
Andrea
Finding your blog post through my blind searches feels like a sign. My 8mo old daughter has had feeding issues since 11 weeks old. Well, technically since born as she would fall asleep feeding. But she has been refusing the bottle, even when she is clearly hungry, since then. We have tried different bottles, nipple sizes, feeding schedules, milk amounts, and taken her to a feeding specialist around 5mo where she mentioned a slight lip and tongue tie. It’s odd because she will bring the bottle hungrily towards her, start to suck, and then swat it away. Many times angrily. Sometimes she will vigorously drink, and seemingly a lot, but it’s only been 1 or 2 oz once she stops. Every single time. The only thing that works to get her to drink her bottle is getting her distracted with a toy or a show on our phones. I don’t like the distraction method, but it is the only thing that works and I need her to eat. With distractions, she drinks within 30 minutes; without takes 1-1.5 hours. We have done lots of dream feedings but those are no longer as effective as she ends up chocking lately. She seems to be doing fairly well with solids, but I’ve noticed a couple of things: she has started “pocketing” food; she can’t seem to suck or take the food off the spoon on her own (I use the roof of her mouth if I give her the spoon); when she has a larger piece of food, like a rolled up egg piece, she can’t seem to keep the pieces in her mouth. Not sure if any of this is related to low oral issues? I’m sure I’m forgetting something but I’ve been in so many mom groups on Facebook and scour all the posts praying I find an answer. The best example I can give is The King’s Speech. He was able to speak well when distracted by music. Once he had to think about it, he stuttered. Feels very similar to my daughter. Thank you for reading this far!
Hey Karen!
We’re so glad you found Your Kids Table! Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you guys have had many different challenges! Those oral motor exercises are a great idea to start with her 🙂 When she pulls away from the bottle, it might be helpful to look and see if she’s giving any other cues that feeding might be uncomfortable for her. One other suggestion is when you’re feeding her with a puree on a spoon, you want to wait until she closes her mouth on it, verses using the roof of her mouth. Sometimes a little touch to her top lip can be a helpful cue! Here is a great article on teaching little one’s to chew. It would be worth checking out.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hi !
My son is 42 months (3.5 years) old. Still drooling. His whole body muscle tone is lose. He can use straw in particular ( munchkin) water bottle. But I follow he can not bites very well with any chewy foods. He can’t blow anything like bubble/ candle. But he can eat all kind of food ( though he is a picky eater ). He can’t use open cup. Now I’m hardly trying to use him open cup.
My question is how can I help my son get use into open cup.
N.B: My son has ASD.
We’re so glad you’re here! You’re right, lower muscle can make eating and drinking a bit more challenging. These oral motor activities are great to strengthen the mouth muscles. You might demonstrate to him how to close your lips over a cup (you can over exaggerate a bit). We also have a post about teaching how to drink from a straw that might be helpful.
Best,
Andrea
Hi,
I am having trouble opening the link for the oral motor exercises. Would you be able to send it to my email? Thanks in advance!
Kind Regards,
Paramesh
Hi,
Thanks for some of this information. My son is 35 months, he will eat but he only eats soft food. He does not chew and does not bite. If you give him a melting chip he will kiss it or lick it. He is in speech therapy and sensory integration therapy… How can I help him bite or chew? He refuses…
Hi! Thanks for reaching out! Sometimes imitating an over exaggerated chew yourself can be helpful. You might check out our post on how to teach a toddler how to chew. I hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hi my daughter is 23 months and will now put a lot of food in her mouth and suck on it for awhile but always just spits it back out. She doesn’t chew or swallow. Reading your article was very helpful and gave me a lot of exercises I need to be doing with her to help her move her tongue around and chew. My question is though how do you do oral exercises with someone that also has oral aversion? She is comfortable putting things to her mouth on her own now but won’t let me bring anything to her mouth or touch in and around her mouth. So I can’t get her to put a toothbrush in her mouth or any vibrating tool. When I try to demonstrate chewing now she will just hold her mouth open. She also will cry if I say chew your goldfish like this and demonstrate. Then she’s don’t “eating” and upset cause I mentioned the word chewing.
So glad this article was helpful for you Mandy! We know how hard this can be! I’d make very small steps. Having her allow you to place the toothbrush on her hand and do some play, then working on allowing it on her arm, then shoulders, etc. Working your way to her face, lips, mouth, etc. This is a slow process but take pride in the small wins. You can read more about oral aversion and how to conquer it in the article here
Best,
Desiree
Hi, I’ m Autism Teacher and I have a 6 y/o, female student who has a problem in drinking the water. She has been drinking sweet drinks like chocolate drinks for years. So, when I try to teach her to drink the water, she won’t swallow the water because she doesn’t like the plain taste and She will cry and yelling if I give her the water. Because of this, she has problem with toilet-train because she can’t pee and having constipation almost everyday. How can I help this poor kid?
Hey Lyn,
I’d work on trying to sweeten the water first! There are many options for flavored water or drops to add yourself. As she starts to tolerate this, you can decrease the amount of the flavor you are adding to the water (slowly over time). So that she becomes more accustomed to the plain water. Hope that helps!
Best,
Desiree
You start with mixing very small amount of sweetener in her water and encourage her to have it. Sweetener is added just to change the taste of plain water. Gradually keep reducing the amount of sweetener and end up giving her plain water. She may show reluctance in consuming that but still she should be encouraged to have it in little portion frequently. The process may take a longer time but eventually it may help her consume plain water.
My son is 4 yrs 3 months can’t pronounce mama, baba and he drools.. Any advice you can help me with to guide him would be much appreciated.. Haven’t received the email yet despite trying several times
Hey Enzo,
If your having trouble with the printable, reach out to us at hello@yourkidstable.com and we will be happy to help get that to you! These activities will be great for oral motor skills. For any speech concerns, I’d reach out to an SLP for specific skills to work on as well!
Best,
Desiree
My son is 2 years old and has no problem eating purées but is picky in which ones he will eat and none with vegetables. He wants to eat food really bad because when he sees me with food he will say “have some?” But he will only lick solid foods. When a solid is in his mouth he will try to pull it out or gag as if he is stuck on what to do with it in his mouth. I’ve tried soo many different food options and the only thing that I can get him to enjoy is pizza, pb&j, toast with butter or a bagel and the creme of an Oreo. But all of those things he will only lick. I have made arrangements for him to see a feeding specialist but it’s becoming very concerning and stressful and I’m running out of ideas
Hey Tianna,
Thanks for reaching out! Sounds like your little one is not chewing of any foods, you can learn some tips in our article HERE to start working on that skill. We do also have a free workshop that does help in addressing moving from purees to table foods, even at 2, since he is not chewing any foods this can be helpful! You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hello , my name’s Fanta. My daughter has 3 years old .I started introduce solid food, when she was 3 months , and she never accepted. We tried tried tried, but she doesn’t want to eat any solid food. She drinks milk 3,25% 4 times a day ,even In the middle of night, I have to wake up and feed her. When I fees her she is pocketing food in her mouth for hours. She is now Armenia and not growing well , and it is normal because she is not eating. She doesn’t want to touch different food texture . Please help.
So happy you reached out! First we do have an article on Pocketing Food I’d take a look at that for some suggestions to help you through. Also, her not wanting to touch different textures is something I’d start to try to work on through playing with different textures outside of mealtimes to ease her into it. Touching the food is the first step to eating. We do have a free workshop that is full of great information that may be helpful for you! Save your seat here
Best,
Desiree
Hi, my name is Jessica, and I have found myself frequenting you’re page, more and more. I’m not sure if that is a good thing, or bad thing ( in this instance). You have so much awesome advice, but I feel like I’m either not sure if I am looking at the right resources, or if I have a unique problem. My daughter is 12 months, as of 6/26. We are not having trouble getting her to eat table foods. I started her on solids at about 4 months, but really amped it up , around 6 months. She ate baby cereal/oatmeal, and any type of puréed fruit, vegetable, or meat, with no problems. Around 7 months, I began giving her rusk teethers, then moved on to puffs, crunchers, and would put frozen fruits in a mesh teether — she ate all of these with absolutely no problems. Eventually I moved on to sliced banana, egg -scrambled with pureed sweet potato she loved the first time, but didn’t care for it the next time, hard boiled eggs, sweet potato ( fries, mashed, cubed), softened veggies, toast, French toast, pasta, pizza, ground meat .. you get the point… however, she turned her nose up to it all ( except toast – grilled cheese and French toast — she clearly likes toast). She use to give everything a try, but if uninterested in it, she would quickly pull it out of her mouth. Now, she won’t even look at anything new. I try different types of small amounts on her high chair plate, including things she does like too. She doesn’t want to try the new stuff so much that she ends up screaming about it, which in turn ruins the meal completely ( even the stuff she does like). I try not to pressure her, or push her, and go with the flow of her ( as you suggest in a lot of your articles). Now I feel like Im completely failing, or have failed already. I didn’t let her try enough different texture foods earlier on, so now I missed her window. We just had our 12 month check up, and her ped didn’t seem to really help much. Told us to wait it out a month and come back if not improved. She’s not under weight or height, she’s in the 75th for weight and 95th for height. She’s been walking since she turned 11 months, Now I feel like I’m trying to play catch up and teach her all things at once. Cows milk ( which she seems to like), weaning the bottle, etc. I’ve been using a transition formula and mixing with cows milk since she isn’t getting much nutrients elsewhere. Again, our dr didn’t give us much advice on how to fix this problem, and told us we didn’t need to buy formula anymore and transition her to cows milk ( though she isn’t getting much for solids, as she is starting to turn her nose up to puréed food now, because I think I caused a negative experience for her somehow). I give her a spoon so she can dip her spoon in it, while I use a different spoon- that works sometimes. She’s been eating her puffs (etc.), on her own, ever since she started getting them. She’s definitely independent, but obviously still needs help ( she still wants me to hold her sippy cup of water most times). I’m just at a complete loss, and I feel like I’m making matters worse for both of us. I’m a teacher and go back to work in the fall ( after being home since March due to the pandemic) and have really been trying with her, but feel we have gone backwards. I try not to show or let her feel my anxiety, or rush her, or keep it too long. I let her guide the way. Do you think this is an oral Sensory issue, or feeding issue, picky eater problems? You stated a preference of crunchy foods Over soft foods seem to be A red flag. I don’t want her to get too old and still have this issue. I feel like that is negligence on my part, I want to be sure I’m doing all that I can. Thanks so much in advance!
BTW. I apologize for my typos. I tried to write super quick, and didn’t re read it until after I pressed submit. I swear my English is better than what I sent, ugh!
I also meant to write “ we are now** having trouble with getting her to eat table foods)
Hey Jessica,
You have not failed, you were doing the best that you could with what you knew. For starters, I’d try to work on doing some play with the foods outside of mealtimes to get her comfortable with touching and peaking her interest in these foods, to see how she does with that. We do have a free workshop that might help you with some strategies and tips you can feel free to save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hello there I am a mom of a 10-month-old boy who keeps gagging on food even if it’s soft food. We will do scrambled eggs oatmeal we’ve tried picking up any purée with baby cereal he doesn’t gag all of the time. He just started the gumming food motion but doesn’t seems to be doing that too much. He will eat purées… try food no matter what it is but gags … which terrifies me that he is choking. He doesn’t seem to stick his tongue out. I just ordered the vibrating teether you suggested .. any tips for what I can do until the supplies come in? I am terrified I’m failing at this and need some help please .
Hey Katie,
Thanks for reaching out! Until you get the supplies, I would be utilizing a tooth brush in/around his mouth as this is helpful to decrease the gag reflex as well as help with the tongue movement. We do also have a free workshop that is helpful for the transitioning to table foods, you can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi Alisha,
I was wondering which of the above exercises I should be doing in order to promote closed mouth chewing. My son is 3.5 and still chewing with his mouth open. When I’ve had him try to chew with his mouth closed, he has not been able to :(. Thank you so much, in advance!
Best,
Alex
Hey Alex,
You can try practicing in front of the mirror. He may need that visual to see what is going on and work on it.
Best,
Desiree
SLP here trying to download the PDF of exercises and haven’t received an email. I tried multiple times with multiple email addresses and its been a few days.
Thank you.
Hey Katelyn,
If you are having trouble reach out to us at hello@yourkidstable.com
Best,
Desiree
This page is so helpful, thank you! I would love to purchase a lot of the toys and toothbrushes you are talking about but the links to amazon don’t work anymore. Is there a way you can update it? Specifically the animal jigglers and the vibrating toothbrush.
Thanks for letting us know!! We will look at updating the link for the animal jigglers. And keep an eye on the vibrating tooth brush, the link is working but is just unavailable at this time! Thanks so much!
Desiree
Thanks so much for your thoughtful advice and guide.i have a son that will be 5 years next week, but he has a speech delay and can’t write We have gone to hospitals, did tests and were advised to use a speech Therapist. We did last year and he can call Daddy, Mummy and other names though not too clear now.But cannot make a sentence or use two words.We are engaging in some of the Oral motor exercises listed above.But I will appreciate if there’s more that I can do.its really heartbreaking seeing him without much communication. Thanks.
Hey Raymonda,
Thanks for reaching out! These oral motor exercises will be great! But so glad you are utilizing a speech therapist as they really are the experts in the “talking” field. I’d run the exercises by your therapist to see which ones she feels may support him the most!
Best,
Desiree
Hi, I have found reading your articles so interesting. My LO is nearly 11 months he was born with cleft lip and palate his surgery went well but since then feeding has been a nightmare he doesnt drink anything, he has his milk with weatabix 3 times a day. Eating is an issue he wont try most things. Spits them out or wont even entertain picking food up. He does oddly like breadsticks and biscuits and will try and eat them but they tend to fall out his mouth rather than him managing to eat them. Any advice on eating and drinking would be grateful as I would love for him to eat fruit, veg or a meal and actually drink something. (We have tried many different drinking options, bottle, cup, sippy cups) its like he cant handle the fluid. We are waiting for app with a dietitian to help us out.
Hey Jessica,
So glad you reached out! You can definitely try a staw cup to see if he can manage this, it will be great oral motor skills to complete as well as reduce the amount of liquid he is getting at once. This may take a little time, but we do have a great article on how to help them learn the straw! Read about it Here
Best,
Desiree
Hi my DD is 2yrs old she use to do vomitings three times or more for 5 th day of her birth after 1 year they said she had reflux and now that problem has reduced a lot but she won’t chew food ( chew food which are as pieces ) but not rice because of that she gags for every spoon of food and she vomits I am really worried and exhausted and one more thing is she don’t like to eat Mashy texture and she don’t know to chew normal texture though she is hungry she ends up eating nothing . And once we went to feeding therapy but they said her younger movements were good . I am really worried
Hey Teja,
We hear you and understand where you are coming from. As far as the chewing I’d try the activities HERE. But I’d also check out this post to try to understand why the gagging is happening. Check out this post HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi my 2 year twin girl did not eat solid food yet and did not put any toy in her mouth. I am so worried please tell me what should i do? She grind her teeth all the time too much
Hi Sadia,
That sounds like it has been really tough for your girls! Learning to eat can be difficult for some toddlers. You might want to try brushing teeth, gums, inner cheeks and tongue regularly. It can help desensitize their mouths, which can make eating easier for them! We also have a free workshop dedicated to helping you transition babies and toddlers to table food. It might be helpful for you. You can save your seat HERE. I hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
This has been so helpful and made me feel we aren’t alone in this. Thank you
Awesome Michelle,
Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂 You are not alone!!
Best,
Desiree
I have a 3 year old who will not eat any meat or warm foods. The boy would live on fruit and crackers if it were up to him. He struggles using a spoon…i notice when he opens his mouth his tounge goes to the roof of his mouth and blocks the spoon from entering. When he sees meat he rolls it around with his tounge instead of chewing. Refuses to try new things. Please help!
Hey Kylie,
Thanks for reaching out! We do have an article that may be helpful for the Chewing so you can check that out! Also we do have a free workshop for picky eating, that may also be helpful for you! You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Thank you for sharing this important information. My son is 2 years old, and he refuse to eat, he eats only silky textures food and crunchy like chips. I live in France to get an specialist to see him it’s kind of a nightmare, i’m still waiting an appointment.
I’m too happy to find some advice, and i can not wait to put this in practice. I really feel kind of lost and little helpless. It really give me some hope and knowing that’s normal and happens to other too, we are not alone.
Hey Celina,
You are NOT alone!! We understand how difficult it is sometimes to get an evaluation or specialist in the area of feeding, so we are with you!! Hoping these will help your little one! You can check out our post on looking for feeding therapy, this can be helpful in your search for help!! Feeding Therapy
Best,
Desiree
My son is 21months. He will only eat pureed food, and even then gags when swallowing. He hasn’t started to talk or even try to mimic sounds. I have tried therapy chew toys and the mesh bags, but he won’t touch them. What do I do?
Hey Gabrielle,
Great job at being proactive for your son!! I’d keep offering those as it may take awhile for him to accept. But in the meantime, I’d work on brushing his teeth multiple times a day. You can utilize the toothbrush to brush his gums as this will help as well!
Best,
Desiree
HI – your site is very helpful. Great job. I scheduled an appointment with a OT but am not sure if I am proactively worried. My son is 10 months old and was 3 weeks early. He will eat purees and will put broccoli in his mouth and suck and suck and chew on it but doesn’t really eat it. All other foods he either straight up refuses to touch or when he does put them in his mouth they are never swallowed and fall out / get spit out.
I always believe in being proactive when it comes to feeding, so good job to you! Have you seen my post on how to transition to table foods and the free printable there? It has a lot of specifics and I think will be helpful. Check it out here.
Hi Alisha, my 14 month old is still only eating some purred food ( mainly mango flavours). It seems like he can’t chew and swallow. He wants to try food but holds it in his mouth then spits it out after 5 minutes or so. He also drools a lot and doesn’t mouth anything other than his hands. He breast feeds and can drink with no problem but anything that involves chewing he will gag, choke or vomits if he tries to swallow. I’ve taken him to several doctors and been told to keep trying and eventually he will get the hang of eating, I’m concerned that there may be more to it than getting the hang of it.
Do you have any recommendations?
Hey Jenna,
I can understand how frustrating this must be for you!! You’re not getting any answers!! Have you tried giving him puffs (meltable foods) these are what helps kids to learn how to eat/where foods are in their mouth so that they are able to walk through the steps for chewing and swallowing, but they melt away so take away some of the gagging. You will learn great steps to take in our free workshop!! Save your seat here.
Keep us posted!!
Desiree
I have saved a seat in the work shop😀. I’ve tried many different puffs. He throws them away or spits them out, it may be the texture, I just don’t know.
Awesome Jenna!! I think you’ll learn some tips/tricks!! Also, food play is HUGE!!! Completing outside of mealtimes to get the kids used to a variety of textures can be helpful!!
Keep us posted!
Desiree
This is so timely Alisha. I’m an SLP student majoring in feeding and swallowing. We have many challenges here in Kenya and most mothers with CP children lack the awareness of services and if any, they are faced with financial constraints. Is there a way you can help please!
Ruth, send an email to us at hello@yourkidstable.com with any ideas you have!
Hi!
Thank you so much for all of your information it is so helpful! Your passion for your work shines bright!! My son is 7m and he loves food but in order to eat he has to suck on two fingers with each bite in order to swallow if he doesn’t put his fingers in his mouth often the food will fall out. We have only done purées so far. Any suggestions/exercises to help transition from his fingers? Thanks!!
Wow, that’s so interesting! He’s quite clever to have figured that out. I would actually read these two posts. Baby’s first meal (get tips on how to feed with a spoon to help with swallowing) and how to transition to table foods because although he’s just on purees, there’s some great readiness steps in there that will help get him ready!
Hi!
Frist of all – thank you for a great page! I think I finally found som answers.
My son is 11,5m old, and still eats absoultely nothing. That said he loves meal times, will put almost Everything we serve him in HIS mouth, but he just doesen’t seem to Get the chewing and swallowing part. The peaces just fall out. He doesen’t drool, and otherwise he’s happy and progressing well.
This is My third child, and both of my girls started solids without big issues. And are confident eaters today. We have regular, social mealtimes and he is always included.
We live all the way over in Norway, and can’t find a lot of information here. So far I’ve been adviced to starve him – in the sense to stop breaestfeeding and to just wait it out, neither of whitch is working (or I’m willing to try for longer periods of time). Do you do online consultarions/webinars? Or do you happen to know a fantatic colleague in Skandinavia?
All the best from Solveig – Kristians mum
Hello Solveig,
So happy that you reached out to us, as we understand getting the advice that you are getting can be so frustrating!! First of all it is GREAT that your child is wanting to put everything in his mouth, HUGE step! Secondly, it does sound like he may need some help with the chewing side of things! Due to the Red Tape with OT licensure, Alisha no longer provides consultations, however we do have some workshops and classes that will help!! I’d start with our free workshop, as it will provide you with some suggestions to start! You can save your seat HERE
Please keep us posted!
Best,
Desiree
m baby age is 5 years but he is not chewing bitting any thing and not to speak anyone..not to tounge through his mouth no movement his tonge only swallow not to chew
I’d highly suggest talking to your doctor and getting an evaluation from an occupational therapist or speech therapist. You can read more here on feeding therapy.
I feel like I have an odd problem with my 12 month old. He’ll eat puree’s, puffs, yogurt melts, teething cookies, and has tried a few pieces of some things (chocolate donut, haha), but he spits the rest of it out. It doesn’t matter if its a veggie chunk in a puree, or something we put on his tray and he tries to eat himself. I just can’t figure out if its a texture thing, or if we just need to work with him more (he turned one a week and a half ago). Any advice?
Check out this post on how to transition to table foods, it’s exactly what you need.
Hi Alisha, thanks for the info. It is very helpful. My 15 on old son has list of issues you mentioned here. He doesn’t like texture foods, doesn’t know how to chew. Directly swallows food. I tried giving him table foods like puffs etc he only bites them and spits out. He still only drinks from his milk bottle and doesn’t want to use sippy cup although I bought several types of sippys. I am looking for a feeding therapist, but don’t feel hopeful if it helps him. Can you advice. How long does it usually take to get these resolved?
Feeding therapy is a great option, it can take a few months or up to a year to get fully on track, but you could start seeing progress within a few weeks! Another resource that could help is my picky eating challenge that’s going on right now. It will give you some great strategies to start with: yourkidstable.com/challenge
Thank you for your passion. I am a first year OTA student trying to learn this beautiful world of Occupational Therapy. Your site is great. Thank you
I love how proactive you’re being! That’s so wonderful!!
hi,
my name is Daniel and my son is 5 years 5 month but still drop spit on his body and his also having challenge putting words together.
he cant pronounce or make straight sentence.
please i need help, what can i do to help him grow his speech and at this age can there still be any corrective measure.
thanks.
There’s a lot that can be done, but as an occupational therapist, I don’t work on speech delays. I’d seek out a speech therapy evaluation.
Hi firstly thank you for all the info on your site, it’s amazingly helpful and digestable. I have a 15month old daughter who has been diagnosed with sensory processing disorder and oral motor problems, she eats purée from a spoon but does not make lateral tongue movements or mastication/chewing motion, just up/down movement of the jaw – although she has always breastfed well. At this stage she will not put any foods into her mouth herself. Her understanding is limited, so any suggestions of oral motor exercises for a tot her age would be greatly appreciated.
I seriously love hearing that, thank you!
Have you seen the post on oral motor exercises and the one on self feeding. Check those out and let us know if you have more questions!!
I may be preemptively worrying but my daughter is 5 months old. We started trying some purées at 4 months per dr go ahead. She seemed to gag and spit out the food every time so I just figured it was normal as she’s learning the new texture. We decided to wait until she’s 6 months to let her develop a little more. She got her two bottom teeth early a couple weeks ago and since stopped taking a pacifier, she’s mostly breastfed and now seems to have trouble with the occasional bottle as well. I’m wondering now if maybe she’s having trouble given the gagging on all the food regardless of taste, sudden refusal of paci and bottles etc. Should I be worried yet?
Hey Alisha,
Thanks for reaching out! Some kids aren’t ready that early, so I like your approach to wait and see how she does a 6 months. At 6 months they can be more readily appropriate for trying some of the pureed foods. As far as the pacifier, it’s hard to say as some kids just decide they don’t want or need it anymore, so it could just be that. Or with you mentioning her bottom teeth, teething can have a lot of affects as to what they will put in their mouth as well as be accepting to. I’d take a look at this post as it walks you through baby gagging and what may be normal or not!
Hope that helps!
Best,
Desiree
Hi, my son is the opposite. He overstuffs and wants to eat all the time. He will eat ANYTHING from spicy to sour foods. He eats raw onion, bellpepper, lemon…etc. he chews but not as much as he should be. He doesnt so much have a speech delay but his pronunciation is way off. He also still drools when concentrating. I find it interesting this wasn’t mentioned anywhere in your article…I’m guessing its not as common to want to over -eat? Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
It’s not as common of a problem, but I’d focus on using vibrating teethers or tools with him like you saw in the article, that can be really great for overstuffing!
Hi Alisha,
Thank you for the article. My daughter is 3.5 years and cannot chew. We puree the meat and vegetables and make the pasta lumpy and she swallows without chewing. She’s worked with a speech therapist with talktool items for 7 months but we have not seen any progress. She cannot talk but knows and says a lot of words (colors, shapes, numbers…). Can you please recommend activities to enable her chew. It worries me a lot.
Thank you.
I’d be thinking about activities that encourage her to chew on non food items first. Will she take teethers or a chewy tube? Has your therapist tried putting crunchy foods that melt right on her back teeth/molars? Those are common strategies, I’d check with your therapist too! And, its okay to ask them about what they’re doing and if anything else can be tried.
Thank you so much for the article. I am in this stage now. My baby is stepping into his 8th month but refuses most of the food offered. But then when I read your write up there are certain things like he sucks on food instead of chewing, Food falling out of his mouth,drooling though not much these days, gags not at the first but say with the 3rd or 4th spoon . Can you please help me out . People around is behind me to do force feeding/ distracted feeding and am seriously concerned. And to heep it up also have a 32 months old toddler who is again a picky eater so losing my mind. Hope you will help me. TIA
Oh Nadiya, I’m so glad you found this post! And that you’re trusting your insticts. I have a whole plan in what to do when your baby won’t eat solids… have you seen it?
My son just turned 10 months old. He is slightly delayed due to mild low tone. He has been doing physical and feeding (OT) therapy. He has pretty much caught up physically but he still can’t really eat solids. He eats about 28/30 oz of formula daily, he loves yogurt and puréed bananas. He can handle mum mums. He is using straw cups with water and usually does fine. But I’ve tried small bits of table food (peaches, mash pot) and the second the food gets in his mouth he will gag cough and spit up. We’ve done the z vibe, oral massages.. but I’m just so frustrated and at a loss. We tried shell macaroni, he ate one bite and did fine. The next time he held the noodle in his mouth for several minutes. I’m just at a loss and feel like we’re not getting anywhere
We understand Jenna how hard this transition can be! If you haven’t tried yet, I’d try some puffs with him to see how he is able to manage these. They are great in helping kids learn how to chew, since they dissolve as well! Also, if you have not seen our free workshop I’d recommend this one for your situation. Save Your Seat Here
Best,
Desiree
Hello, Love your posts. so informative. My daughter doesn’t seem to have the red flags outlined here. but she consistently refuses to eat. only wants milk. she chews on toys and stuff a lot. and always eats what from my plate when offered. but she spits out food when its offered from her own bowls. Please help. I live in Paris
Hi Nana! That’s actually a good thing- so it may be more sensory based. I have a free workshop that goes over the foundational steps that I think are totally necessary for any picky eater to make improvement. You can get a spot here: https://yourkidstable.com/free
do you have any steps to helping a child chew with their mouth closed. I am working with an older child (5th grade). Is there a recommended hierarchy?
Thank you!!!
Hey Cheryl, I caught up with you when you posted on fb, hoping you saw my response there:)
Hi I’ve been trying to get the PDF for both parent and therapist and it doesn’t seem to work. I put in two email addresses and have not received a copy. Could you email it to me? thanks so much! This is just perfect for my kindergartners!
Hi, my almost 12 mos old grandson seems to be having speech and feeding issues. He will eat cereal puffs or teething biscuits pretty well. Will eat Stage 2 baby food mixed with infant cereal (for added texture), if he’s distracted watching music videos. Gags on, sometimes to the point of vomiting, with Stage 3 baby food that has chunks of food in it. Gags on table food. Have noticed that he has stopped working on speech tasks. Stopped saying dada, baba sounds etc. Are these issues related? Is this something that will eventually resolve or should I be looking into Speech Therapy?
Hi Cyndi, they definitely can be related! I’d highly encourage you to check out feeding therapy:) You can find more here: yourkidstable.com/feeding-therapy
Hi! I signed up for the printable a few hours ago an still haven’t received it. I’m a fellow OT and would love this resource!
Hi, my son has a neurological disorder which affects his perisylvian fissure control the oral motor area. He does breastfeed but getting him on up solids is a nightmare. He’s 7 months and refusing everything. He has good control of his tongue and though gags occasionally it’s not all the time. It’s a refusal to open his mouth and if you do get it in there he spits it out with a raspberry or pulls a disgusted face. The speech therapist says she thinks his tongue is moving laterally which I hope she’s right about. She says let him play with food but he can’t sit up unsupported. The problem is, though he sucks his hands he very rarely brings toys to mouth. So finger food is pointless and he would not put a spoon to his own mouth. He sucks his hands with puree on but I don’t think he notices there is food on them. Anyway, not sure how you can help but getting desperate. I can’t download the excercises either. Thanks in advance.
Hi Emelia! Can you get him to hold a toy, will he refuse to put that in his mouth? It may take a lot of repetition and you constantly putting something else in his hands, but that’s where I’d start. Try different teethers, one that vibrates in particular!
I’ll get you the printable too, I’m talking with my email provider now because I think there’s a glitch with some emails!
Emelia you should’ve just got the printable in your email, check spam if you don’t see it!
I love this article! thank you so much for the much needed helpful info! I work with prek 3-5 with Autism and very much need to PDF but I’m not receiving it in my school email nor personal and I’ve checked my junk folders as well. Help! I need the PDF to share with my assistants as well! 🙂
Hey Tabitha, you were on the list I’m not with this email, and I just added you again, if you still don’t get it email me at alisha@yourkidstable.com and I’ll give you the direct link!
I am having trouble receiving the printable oral motor exercises when I click on the link to download them. I put in my name and email and nothing happens nor do I receive anything via email
You got it now, right Gina?
Hi there! my son has only been seeing an OT since November, for sensory integration concerns. one of the things we truly struggle with is his picky eating. He seems to like to taste nonfood items, gags at the thought of unappealing food, likes to smell nonfood objects and people and shows distress at smells that other children do not notice. He appears to avoid food based on smell and food texture and to avoid sitting near people who are eating things that cause him distress. isn’t this something that an OT could help him with? they did a couple of food tasting activities with him at the outset of therapy but it seems they have gotten away from it. should i be seeking the help of a different type of therapist?
Yes! This could/should all be covered in therapy. I’m assuming they must be working on other goals as well, but I’d express that eating is a top concern. Ask if you need to add more time to have it addressed. Some OT’s like myself work on feeding, especially when there’s a big sensory component, which it sounds like there is for you son. Speech therapists also address feeding. I’d check out both of these articles: sensory and food, feeding therapy.
thank you so much for your advice! Also, I am having an issue with downloading the printable for oral motor exercises.
Jenny I just added you! My email service is being glitchy, but I’m working on it!
If you still don’t see it email me and I’ll get it to you: alisha@yourkidstable.com
very useful tips and website. Thank you.
Have you got any webpage where toys for special needs are sold.
I need something for chewing for my son.
I love fun and function, and they have a chat and phone number you can call with excellent support. You can use my link here
Amazingly informative (and so interesting) article again from you.
Thanks for sharing these great fun things to practice, I am going to print the list out and test some of these out with my little one!
You’re so kind Gabrielle! I’m so glad it was helpful!
Hi my name is Thuli and i am so frustrated and tired my son is 2yrs 7months and wont chew he keeps his food on his mouth and wont chew or swallow until u remind him to and i could take an hour or more just to feed him a small bowl of food but when it comes to soil,sand, paper and boxes he chews and swallow them fast that he makes sure he doesnt get caught. I try telling my doctor this but she says he is fine my worry is that he is loosing weight and always have mucous and coughs what must i do?
Hey Thuli,
Thanks for reaching out to us! We can understand how frustrating this can be. I’d check out the tips in this ARTICLE. I’d also be making sure to provide him with input in his mouth prior to meals with toothbrushing, or any chew toys so that his mouth receives more input and he may be less likely to hold the food in his mouth! Check out the tips in the article and keep us posted!
Best,
Desiree
Hi
My kid doesn’t want to eat rice. My caregiver has been making it more like porridge texture. As we thought she has teething issue. She is fling it out of her hand. She often choke on food and spit it out. We encourage her to chew by giving vegetables stem but she often can’t eat it well. She had problem when I try breastfeed her. I think it matches with oral motor issue. And she can’t drink well not straw as well. She only want soup or noodles.
Hey! Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you’re on the right track! You might offer dissolvable solids (think graham crackers or gerber puffs)- they’re great to teach to chew. Demonstrating, while over exaggerating chewing yourself can be helpful! We have an awesome free workshop dedicated to teaching kids to eat table food. It would be a great place for you to start. You can save your seat HERE!
Best,
Andrea