The Use of Occupational Therapy in Oral Motor Disorders and Dysphoria in Children with Down Syndrome

Abstract Background: Children with Down syndrome are in a big scale, but the studies on occupational therapy in oral motor dis-orders and dysphoria are very limited. There is a great dearth of proper statistical data to show the incidence of using of occupa-tional therapy in oral motor disorders and dysphoria in children with Down syndrome. Aim of Study: The aim of the current research is to use occupational therapy in oral motor disorders and apraxia of speech with Down syndrome. Material and Methods: A case study was used, a form for evaluating verbal performance, a form for evaluating the fine motor performance of the speech organs, a form for evaluat-ing sensory oral processing, a form for training activities for the speech organs, a form for training activities based on oral massage, a form for physiological evaluation of the of speech organs, an indicative program (prepared by the researchers) and the one-group experimental approach was used. Results: The results indicated the success of the therapeutic program based on the use of occupational therapy in reducing apraxia of speech and oral motor disorders, and the success rates were variable, according to the pathological condition of each child. Conclusion: Considering the use of occupational therapy in oral motor disorders and apraxia of speech with Down syn-drome to specialists in this field, take actions such as: Providing various means that help carry out the activities in children with Down syndrome, providing training courses for parents to help them monitor the level of their children with Down syndrome to enjoy more opportunities for an independent life.