INFLUENCE OF NON-SPEECH ORAL MOTOR EXERCISE (NSOMES) THERAPY ON ARTICULATION SKILLS IN LEARNERS WITH DOWN SYNDROME IN MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA

Down Syndrome is a genetic condition caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. This then makes the individual have 47 chromosomes instead of the typical 46. In most cases, individuals with the condition also have mild to moderate intellectual disability. Other conditions include low muscle tone and developmental delay. Children with Down Syndrome often experience delayed speech development and articulation difficulties. This necessitates specialized interventions by Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs). While various speech therapy intervention techniques are employed, the effectiveness of Non-Speech Oral Motor Exercises (NSOMEs) in improving articulation remains debated and under-researched, particularly in low-resource settings. This study examined the influence of NSOMEs on articulation skills among children with Down Syndrome in selected primary schools in Machakos County, Kenya. The study was guided by Social Learning Theory and employed a mixed-methods approach. It combined a quasi-experimental design and descriptive qualitative analysis. A total of 26 participants were purposively selected, comprising 20 children with Down Syndrome (10 in the experimental group and 10 in the control group) and 6 speech-language pathologists. Data were collected through articulation pre- and post-tests (adapted from the GFTA-3 tool), in-depth interviews with SLPs. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests via SPSS, while qualitative data were processed through thematic analysis. Findings revealed that 90% of the children had below-average articulation scores at baseline, with the experimental group showing a significant mean gain of 26.2% after six weeks of NSOME intervention (p = 0.001), compared to a negligible improvement in the control group. Observational data supported these findings, with improvements noted in lip strength, tongue coordination, and speech clarity. Interviews with SLPs highlighted that NSOMEs are perceived as clinically beneficial, especially when integrated with other speech therapy techniques. The study concludes that NSOMEs are an effective early intervention strategy for improving articulation skills in children with Down Syndrome and recommends their integration into multimodal therapy programs.