What families notice

Everyday things worth asking about.

You know your child best

Parents are often the first to notice that something about feeding, breathing or resting seems harder than it should be. None of the things below means something is wrong on its own. They are simply worth mentioning to someone who looks at function.

In babies

In teens and adults

In children

  • Clicking, or slipping off the breast or bottle
  • Long or tiring feeds
  • Gagging, choking or noisy eating
  • A body that seems very tense, or hard to settle

In children

In teens and adults

In children

  • A mouth that rests open, or breathing through the mouth
  • Noisy or messy eating, or trouble with certain textures
  • The tongue resting low, or pushing forward when swallowing
  • Speech sounds that are hard to make

In teens and adults

In teens and adults

In teens and adults

  • Clenching or grinding
  • Jaw or face tension
  • Lips and cheeks working hard to swallow
  • The tongue resting low in the mouth

What to do next

Bring your observations to a provider who looks at how the tongue works, not only how it looks. Notes and short videos of feeding or resting can help.

Next steps by age