Comments and Feedback
Carolin Forbes, M.S., CCC-SLP
Congratulations on your clear, thorough, sensible review of the literature regarding oral-motor articulation techniques. A great step towards clarity from chaos!
Uduak Osom, M.A., CCC-SLP
I commend you on your recent article on oral motor therapy. (A Topical Bibliography on Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment, Vol. 2. No. 1) I am a proud speech pathologist supportive of oral motor research and the need for a more objective reviews of the effectiveness and standards of the practice.
My concern is that the current atmosphere will create confusion for parents and practicing clinicians and for schools. For a clinician like myself working with children with sensory disorders, oral aversion, cleft and feeding related issues, I am disappointed on how oral motor is being approached by our field. It is almost the same as saying that "kangaroo wrap for premature babies," has no scientific support, therefore it does not work or using "toys to teach language skills," is not effective, evidence is not supported by MRI and other scientific tools. [...]
Once again thank you for your article, it motivates clinicians like myself to step forward.
Rhonda Banford, M.A.T., CCC-SLP
gotospeech.com
Many thanks to Pam Marshalla for a well-researched, easy-to-understand article clarifying why we SLPs are so interested in pursuing oral-motor techniques to help remediate speech problems. (Oral-Motor Treatment vs. Non-Speech Oral Motor Exercises, Vol. 2. No. 2)
For a long time, I have wondered whether opponents of "oral motor exercises" view the word "exercises" as meaning "calisthenics" rather than "activities," as if somehow doing the equivalent of sit-ups or jumping jacks with the tongue or mouth will make articulation errors suddenly disappear. I entirely agree with Ms. Marshalla when she posits that SLPs must understand the usefulness of particular oral-motor activities so that they can utilize only the ones of value to individual clients. I believe that as long as SLPs use their best clinical judgment to choose these oral-motor activities and can justify the rationale for their choices, clients have much to gain from their use in therapy sessions.
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