In early feeding progression for infants with oral motor delays, what is typically progressed first?

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Starting with non-nutritive sucking builds the foundational oral motor skills needed for feeding—jaw stability, lip seal, and tongue control—without the added demands of swallowing. The aim is to progress to a coordinated suck-swallow-breathe pattern, practicing that coordination as the infant tolerates and handles safer textures. Only after this coordination is reliably established do textured foods get introduced, gradually increasing texture as development allows. This sequence emphasizes airway protection and safe swallowing before advancing to solids.