Improving Oral Imitation in Preschool Children With and Without Hearing Impairment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group oral motor games on the acquisition of oral imitation skills and to screen for any transfer effects in speech articulation. Preschool children with and without hearing impairments were taught oral motor games for a period of nine weeks. Students without disability who practiced the games demonstrated a significant improvement in Oral Praxis Test raw scores. Improvement was not significant for the control group of students without disability who did not practice the games. Results for the children with hearing impairments were mixed. No correlation was found between Oral Praxis scores and the presence or absence of articulation errors. This lack of correlation between performance on a test of isolated mouth movements and speech concurred with motor learning research findings that transfer of motor learning from component skills to complex tasks cannot be assumed. The benefits of the oral games were restricted to imitation of oral movements similar to those played in the games.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Catherine Orr

Michael Lepp, PT, is in private practice, Associate Instructor of the Upledger Institute, and Clinical Instructor, Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry, Cleveland, OH.

Marie McKenzie, MS, OTR, is in private practice. She was Coordinator of Occupational Therapy at Scottish Rite Hospital at the time of this study.

Heather Miller, MS, OTR/L, is currently employed by Madison County Educational Service Center, providing therapy services to the county's pre-schools. This research was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements of an MS degree at Ohio State University.

Linda Viscardis, BA, is Team Leader and Community Development Worker, Peterborough Family Enrichment Centre. She is Co-Founder of P.R.O.S.P.E.C.T.S., a support and advocacy group for families who have children with special needs.

Debra Stewart, BSc, OT(C), is Occupational Therapist, Erinoak, Serving Young People with Physical Disabilities, Mississauga, ON, and Clinical Lecturer, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University.

Janette McDougall, MA, was Project Coordinator

Kip Husted, BEd, was a parent representative on the study team.

Aviva Yochman, MA, OTR, was a student in the School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel at the time of this study.