Age-based norm-reference values for the Child Oral and Motor Proficiency Scale

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Assessing oral and motor proficiency in children is vital for early identification of developmental delays.
• Existing measures may lack comprehensive norm-reference values for diverse age groups.
• The Child Oral and Motor Proficiency Scale (ChOMPS) aims to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine age-based norm-reference values for the Child Oral and Motor Proficiency Scale (ChOMPS).
• To establish benchmarks for healthy, typically developing children aged 6 months to 7 years.
• To support clinical practice and research in pediatric feeding and motor skills.

Main Methods:

• Parents of 1057 children (6 months–7 years) completed the 63-item ChOMPS.
• Median, range, and percentile scores were calculated for four subscales and total score.
• Data were analyzed across 11 distinct age groups.

Main Results:

• Norm-reference values for ChOMPS subscales and total scores are reported by age.
• By 24 months, 95% of children mastered Basic Movement Patterns.
• Oral-Motor Coordination and Complex Movement Patterns skills developed later, with some children not mastering all by age 7.

Conclusions:

• The ChOMPS is the first parent-report measure for eating, drinking, and related skills with age-based norms.
• These norm-reference values are valuable for clinical practice and research.
• The study highlights developmental trajectories for oral-motor and motor skills in early childhood.