Birth – 5 Months

 



 6-9 Months



 



 

 9 - 12 Months


 

 

12 - 18 Months

 

 

 
18 - 24Months






 
24 - 36 Months




 

 
 

·    Sucks fingers when near mouth
·     Recognizes a nipple or bottle
·     Swallows with suckle swallow (tongue may protrude)
·      Places hand on then later pats a bottle with one or both hands

 
·     Holds a bottle with both hands
·     Mouths and gums solid foods
·     Opens mouth when a spoon is presented
·     Finger feeding introduced
·     Reaches for a spoon when presented
·     Prefers for a parent to feed
·     Chews with up & down munching pattern


·     Uses upper lip to clear food from spoon
·     Eats lumpy, mashed food
·     Chews using rotary jaw action (emerging)
·     Beginning cup drinking
 ·   Begins to drink through a straw


·     Grasps a spoon with a full hand
·     Brings a full spoon to mouth
·     Holds a cup with two hands
·     Drinks with four or five consecutive swallows


·     Gives up the bottle
·     Scoops food with a spoon and brings to mouth with spillage
·     Drinks from a cup with limited spillage
·     Swallows with lip closure
·     Self-feeds frequently
·     Has precise up/down tongue movement


·     Bites through a variety of food thicknesses
·     Brings a spoon/fork to mouth, palm up, self-feeds with little spillage
·     Holds a small, open cup in one hand with little spillage
·     Chews with lips closed
·     Chews with rotary jaw action

 

References:
Feeding and Swallowing Disorders, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, www.asha.org

Morris, Suzanne Evans and Marsha Dunn Klein; Pre-Feeding Skills, Second Edition; Therapy Skill Builders; 2000.

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