Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual conditions on developmental stages of oral functions of children and adults with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) and levels of diet modification they eat.
The subjects were 92 persons with SMID, who suffered from dysphagia. Their age range was from 3 to 55 years (mean 28.1 years). Three developmental stages (early, middle, and late weaning period) of oral functions (movements of tongue and jaw) and levels of diet modification were evaluated.
As a result, though oral functions stopped during the middle weaning period in almost all the subjects, those who had eaten various diet modification during the late weaning period did so for about 30% in staple foods and about 80% in side dishes. As a whole, they ate diet modification that were of significantly higher levels than those for the actual developmental stages of oral functions.
Oral functions develop from the interaction with diet modification, feeding position and so on. The levels of diet modification suitable for oral functions should be reconsidered to prevent aspiration pneumonia and loss of eating pleasure.
