Honors Projects

Abstract

A controversial approach in child speech-sound disorders is nonspeech oral motor exercises (NSOME). NSOME targets the functioning of the articulators in activities that do not involve speaking (such as blowing through whistles, drinking from straws, and pushing the tongue against resistance). The underlying belief of NSOME is that increasing musculature performance and neurological organization through these types of isolated actions will directly improve children’s phoneme productions. However, there is minimal peer-reviewed research evidence to support its use. Despite this, many clinicians use NSOME, citing successes they and their colleagues have had with past and current clients. The use of Evidence-Based practice (EBP) promotes speech-language pathologists and students to select and follow intervention approaches based on the available research evidence, their professional experiences/opinions, and the views of their clients and their families. The emphasis clinicians place on each aspect of EBP guides what approach they select and shows what evidence they use to support their choice. One source of available evidence from clinicians using/not using these approaches is online discussion boards. Through forums, clinicians and students are able to freely engage in dialogue with each other to share their queries, concerns, and experiences. The goal of the present study was to better understand clinicians’ and students’ views on a controversial and confusing approach like NSOME. The data collection and analysis followed the procedures of netnography and reflexive thematic analysis. In total, six themes regarding clinicians' beliefs about the use of NSOME were determined.

Department

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Major

Communication Sciences and Disorders

First Advisor

Dr. Brackenbury

First Advisor Department

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Second Advisor

Dr. Anzicek

Second Advisor Department

Communication

Publication Date

Spring 4-28-2026

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