Examining the Prevalence of Intervention Approaches Internationally: The Use of Nonspeech Oral Motor Exercises in Guatemala

Abstract

Purpose: Little is known about the use of nonspeech oral motor exercises (NSOMEs) to treat Speech Sound Disorders (SSDs) in low- and middle-income countries, such as Guatemala, where the field of speech-language pathology is less well established. The purpose of this study is to examine clinical practices for SSDs in Guatemala. The authors then compare these findings with previous literature on the use of NSOMEs in countries with developed fields of speech-language pathology. Method: Nonmembers and members of the professional association for speech providers, Asociación de Terapistas del Lenguaje de Guatemala (SomosTLgt; n = 65), completed an online survey regarding the use of NSOMEs. Results: Although approximately half of the clinicians in Guatemala reported using NSOMEs in therapy, the time spent in therapy sessions using these exercises was limited to 25% of the time. Very few clinicians (19.8%) reported to use NSOMEs almost always or 50%–75% of the time. NSOMEs were not reportedly used by 33.8% of the clinicians when treating SSDs. A significant positive correlation was found between years of experience and use of NSOME in clinical practice. Nearly all respondents specified learning about NSOMEs at university. Conclusions: Contrary to previous studies from high-income countries that indicate that NSOMEs are commonly used by speech-language pathologists when targeting SSDs, the use of NSOMEs across speech therapists from Guatemala in this current investigation is less. Future studies should explore the rationale behind the use of NSOME across different countries.