Unscrambling the Oral Alphabet

Many infants and young toddlers receive treatment for feeding difficulties. This talk will explore how the anatomy of a child's mouth may contribute to difficulties with eating. Specifically, presenters will discuss how the frenulum of the tongue and lip relate to breastfeeding, chewing, and swallowing. They will present information to help partitioners in Early Intervention identify when a family may need to be referred to a specialist and what type of further intervention may be appropriate. Presenters will discuss how different team members can support a family when a child may have a lip or tongue tie. There will be a section of the talk dedicated to helping therapists navigate difficult discussions relating to lip and tongue tie, as parents may be offered conflicting information from professionals and other online resources.