Comparative assessment of oral placement therapy combining B-ARM chewing tube and speech therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

The impact of oral placement therapy using B-ARM chewing tube along with speech therapy in terms of muscle tonicity and drooling in children with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is of interest. 30 children with ASD in the age group of 5-10 years were selected for the study. They were divided into two equal group with speech therapy B-ARM chewy tube provided to experimental group (N=15), while the control group (N=15) was given only speech therapy. The muscle tonicity and drooling of saliva were assessed for both groups using surface electromyography and the drooling severity scale, respectively before and after 3 months. Thus, B-ARM was recommended as an effective tool for oral placement therapy for children with ASD.