Perform an oral musculature assessment/examination (OMA). Explore the structure and function of the oral cavity of a child, observing common anatomical differences.

Created by technology developers Start Beyond as well as speech-language pathologists and research/teaching academics from the University of Newcastle, Australia, VOMA has been used to teach speech-language pathology students how to perform an OMA. VOMA offers a creative and flexible approach to learning a clinical skill promoting confidence and learning satisfaction. With VOMA, you learn how to carry out the procedural steps of OMAs, essential knowledge for a student speech-language pathologist or a clinician wanting to refresh their knowledge and skills in this area.

An OMA is a fundamental clinical assessment for any child referred to a speech-language pathologist for communication and/or feeding issues to identify underlying structural and functional issues. VOMA allows you as a clinician or student to realistically engage with a clinical assessment of the oral cavity and practise this skill without needing a real child. You conduct an OMA on two simulated children in a consistent, standardised manner, which allows you to repeat these tasks for skill development and consolidation.

Improve your skills in conducting OMAs as you step through assessing the structure and function of the oral cavity, recognising anatomical differences found in children. As you work through the main areas covered in an OMA, including: the face/jaw/cheek, lips, teeth, tongue, hard/soft palate, diadochokinetic performance (DDK).

VOMA includes activities of
· Performing an OMA assessment in a typical clinical setting
· Learning the steps in conducting an OMA on a child
· Carrying out an OMA on a 4- and a 6-year-old
· Exploring the anatomical features of a child’s oral cavity
· Observing a tongue-tie
· Observing a high narrow palate
· Observing enlarged tonsils