Effectiveness of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for Speech Sound Disorders in Children: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Orofacial Myology and Myofunctional Therapy

Merkel-Walsh, R., Carey, D., et al. (2025).

International Journal of Orofacial Myology and Myofunctional Therapy, 51(1), 4.

<div>This systematic review investigates the effects of orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) in children, aged 4 to 18, with organic speech sound disorders (SSD).&nbsp;</div>

No funding received

Not specified

<div>Observational studies, experimental studies</div>

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<div>The authors reported mixed findings regarding the use of OMT in children with organic SSD, with or without confirmed orofacial myofunctional disorder. Specific findings included the following:</div> <div> <ul> <li>Five studies found no significant difference in outcomes for OMT and non-OMT therapies.</li> <li>Two studies demonstrated significant improvements in speech outcomes following OMT, however, there were no control groups for these studies.</li> <li>Five studies showed mixed outcomes across participants (i.e., some participants improved, some regressed, and others had no significant change).</li> <li>Two studies found no significant improvement in speech outcomes following OMT.</li> <li>One reported improved client satisfaction following OMT.</li> <li>All studies with strong quality demonstrated no significant improvement in speech outcomes following OMT.</li> <li>Studies reporting speech improvement following OMT lacked control or comparison groups and long-term follow up.</li> </ul> <div>Limitations to this review include the lack of studies investigating interventions with OMT in isolation (i.e., most OMT incorporated aspects of articulation treatment or non-speech oral motor exercises [NSOMEs]), small sample sizes, and heterogeneity between studies.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The authors suggest that future research should incorporate standardized methodology (i.e., standardized reporting of objective, replicable, and validated measures of speech and oromotor functioning performed pre- and post-treatment) and clear definitions and categorization of different oral motor therapies (e.g., OMT, NSOMEs, oral motor exercises, oral placement therapy, traditional articulation therapy).</div> </div>