A three-day training course that provides a background in infant anatomy and physiology as it relates to neonatal sucking. The course describes the jaw and tongue movements that occur during normal reflexive nutritive sucking and explains how to make a differential diagnosis between disorganized and dysfunctional sucking based on the 28 characteristics of the Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS^®). This course also outlines similarities and differences between breast and bottle feeding and discusses the sensory characteristics of the infant with an “altered sensory system.” Treatment techniques for both the disorganized and dysfunctional feeder are outlined.

All participants are required to participate in a bedside practicum in the intensive care nursery where they will learn to diagnose the suck pattern of several infants during the first two minutes of a routine feeding. Once the Reliability Test is passed the participant will receive Certification as well as a non-exclusive copyright license to use the material. Please contact us for more information.

An institution may elect to host a NOMAS^® Certification Course taught by a licensed NOMAS^® course instructor who will provide instruction to hospital staff in the facility's NICU. An institution may also elect to become a Licensed NOMAS^® Training Site which allows several NOMAS^® Certification Courses to be taught each year at their facility and opens those courses to professionals from other institutions, both in the United States and from other countries. For additional information please contact Marjorie Meyer Palmer, M.A., CCC-SLP (marjorie@nomasinternational.org), or use the contact form on this website.