Speech, Swallowing, & Voice Specialists of Hawaii
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4-6 YEARS OLD
Feeding/Swallowing Milestones
Typical milestones during this age range
Feeding/Swallowing
Uses utensils to pick up pieces of food
Eats diet rich in various foods, temperatures, and textures
Can drink from a cup and straw without dribbling
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(closer to 6+ years)
Able to eat without making a mess
Aware when food is on mouth or face
Feeding/Swallowing is a fine motor skill that also involves a great deal of sensory components. For this reason, motor and sensory milestones for this age group are also listed below as a delay or disturbance in either could influence your child's feeding/swallowing ability.
Motor
(Ranges from 4-6 years of age)
Hops and stands on one foot up to 2- 10 seconds (10 seconds closer to 5)
Catches a bounced ball most of the time
Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food
May be able to skip
Can do a somersault
Uses a fork and spoon
Can use the toilet independently
Swings and climbs
Sensory
(Ranges from 4-6 years of age)
Able to sit and pay attention
Mostly comfortable with change
Participates in crafts/activities that involve wet textures (i.e.; glue)
Usually does not bring non-food objects to mouth
Able to take a bath or shower, although preference may be present
Enjoys participating in loud fun settings, such as birthday parties
Able to pay attention and is not distracted by sounds not noticed by others