A Commentary by: Heather A. Vukelich, MS, CCC-SLP It’s important for speech-language pathologists to understand the research, origins, and history behind the practice of oral sensory-motor therapy, so they may; 1) further the research, 2) practice ethically, 3) further the development of assessment and treatment, and 4) use evidence-based literature to support their work. As a speech-language pathologist for 17 years, I have practiced oral sensory-motor assessment and treatment for 12 of those years. This has been an extremely rewarding career. The question always arises, “Is oral sensory-motor therapy evidence-based?” Therefore, it seemed necessary to evaluate this area and review the findings in order to learn and share an answer to this question with parents, colleagues, etc. I began with a comprehensive, topical bibliography tracing the journey of oral sensory-motor assessment and treatment literature over the years (Bahr, 2008). This 50-page, peer-reviewed article cites works categorized by specific areas of content. The areas included, but were not limited to: Feeding, Oral Motor Assessment, Oral Motor Treatment, Oral Motor Function, Oral Motor Disorders, etc. ![]() A must-read for all of the speech-language pathologists and researchers interested in this topic is the extensive academic contributions of Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI. Here are a few of the most salient contributions that would be an amazing resource to all interested in the historical context of this debate. Another article written by Pamela Marshalla (2007) was entitled Oral Motor Techniques Are Not New. This article compiled terms used historically to describe oral motor exercises in 84 speech textbooks from 1912 until 2007. Therefore, it seemed the topic of oral sensory-motor treatment had been studied for almost 100 years. Marshalla (2011) also described the evolution of oral sensory-motor therapy from 1928 until 2009 in a blog post. Here are a few key points in the article by Bahr (2008) worth mentioning to further the study of oral sensory-motor therapy.
Another article written by Pamela Marshalla (2007) was entitled Oral Motor Techniques Are Not New. This article compiled terms used historically to describe oral motor exercises in 84 speech textbooks from 1912 until 2007. Therefore, it seemed the topic of oral sensory-motor treatment had been studied for almost 100 years. Marshalla (2011) also described the evolution of oral sensory-motor therapy from 1928 until 2009 in a blog post. It’s valuable to mention many early oral sensory-motor references were presentations, papers presented, and seminar handbooks. Here are some of them: Feeding literature was found in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These included suck, swallow, and breathe, as well as mastication studies. “It is interesting to note that many of the articles were published outside of the field of speech-language pathology. There were numerous articles published in the fields of medicine, dentistry, psychology, nutrition, and occupational therapy.” (Bahr, 2008). Morris and Klein (1987) wrote one of the first literature-based, comprehensive books on feeding called Pre-Feeding Skills: A Comprehensive Resource for Feeding Development. Marshalla (1995) was one of the first to use the term “oral-motor” relative to speech in her book Oral-Motor Techniques in Articulation and Phonological Therapy. Bahr (2001) wrote the first masked, peer-reviewed textbook reporting on the unique processes of feeding and motor speech (i.e., same muscles used with differing pressures and motor plans). It was titled Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment: Ages and Stages. While not called “oral sensory-motor assessment and treatment,” the findings of this brief literature review suggest this topic has been studied throughout the past 100+ years using terms such as feeding, swallowing, motor speech, etc. Currently, much literature is evolving in many countries and a number of fields (e.g., orofacial myology, dentistry, and speech-language pathology). Therefore, further action is needed to address oral sensory-motor assessment and treatment in university programs with increasing research opportunities for speech-language pathologists. About The Author:![]() Heather Vukelich, MS, CCC-SLP is a LEVEL 4 ACCOMPLISHED TalkTools instructor and owner of Happy Kids Therapy in Danville, California. Heather’s business is located inside the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area where she focuses on Oral Placement, feeding and speech therapy for people of all ages. Heather’s specialty is working with people with Down Syndrome which includes in-depth knowledge and resources regarding: diet, communication programs, sign language, education, orthodontics and facial development, physical and sensory needs as well as behavioral strategies. Heather attended graduate school at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Heather has spoken at the National Down Syndrome Congress, as well as for Down syndrome groups across California including DSCBA, SVDSN, TBODS, and Club 21. References:
4 Comments
6/28/2022 07:19:46 am
Awesome piece, thank you for sharing it very insightful.
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10/29/2022 11:00:29 am
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