Establishing preliminary normative reference values for oral motor skills in typically developing Egyptian children using oral placement therapy tools.

Abstract

Introduction: Oral motor skills are essential for normal feeding and speech development. Impairments in these functions may adversely affect a child's growth, communication abilities, and overall quality of life. Accurate and standardized assessment of oral motor function is therefore critical for early diagnosis and intervention. However, many currently available assessment tools lack adequate objectivity and standardization.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate oral motor function in typically developing Egyptian children aged 2-6 years using Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) tool hierarchies and to establish normative reference values for clinical use.

Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 275 typically developing children randomly selected from nurseries in Fayoum, Egypt. Participants were categorized into 6-month age intervals across the 2-6-year age range. Oral motor skills were assessed using OPT tool hierarchies, including bite blocks, bite tubes, horn hierarchies, straw hierarchies, and bubble-blowing tasks.

Results: Oral motor performance demonstrated an overall age-related progression across most assessment domains. Children younger than 42 months consistently achieved lower scores, whereas children older than 66 months achieved the highest scores across most OPT tool hierarchies. Significant differences were observed among age groups in measures of jaw stability, jaw strength, lip function, and oral airflow control.

Conclusion: OPT tool hierarchies provide a feasible and practical method for assessing oral motor function in typically developing Egyptian children. The preliminary reference data generated in this study may serve as a useful clinical guide for the early identification and management of oral motor disorders. However, multi-center validation and comprehensive psychometric evaluation are warranted before these data can be adopted as standardized clinical benchmarks.