The Non-Speech Oral Movement Assessment for Children

Examination of oral movements is often part of an assessment undertaken by a speech and language therapist (SLT). Until now, there have been no specific instruments or tests with reference values for typically developing children in Dutch that exclusively evaluate non-speech oral movements in young children. Therefore, a non-speech oral motor observation list was designed to attempt to bridge this gap: the Non-Speech Oral Movement Assessment for Children (NOMAC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the NOMAC in terms of inter-rater reliability and its' construct validity. In addition, we aimed to collect reference values for non-speech oral movements in children.

Data from typically developing Dutch children aged 2-8 years were collected. Inter-rater reliability was studied by estimating the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was investigated by assessing the effect of age group and gender on the mean execution score per item (general linear model). To present normative data, the percentage of the children performing a normal oral motor execution was calculated.

The study includes a total of 318 children, divided into 9 age groups. The inter-rater reliability shows a moderate to excellent ICC for most items. A significant effect of the factor age group on almost all items was seen, confirming robust construct validity. Normative data are presented with the percentage of the children performing a normal oral movement execution.

Non-speech oral movements can be assessed with the NOMAC in children between 2 and 8 years old and can be compared with values obtained from a normative group. It should be used as part of a clinical feeding and speech assessment. Despite the fact that current insights indicate that oral motor training has no value for improving mastication, swallowing, and speech, it is important to know the status of non-speech oral motor capabilities. With this assessment, a complete profile of the child's oral motor abilities can be achieved, supportive of clinical decision making in SLT.