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

## TL;DR

This study shows that using a B-ARM chewing tube with speech therapy helps reduce drooling and improve muscle tone in children with autism.

## Contribution

The study introduces B-ARM chewing tube as an effective addition to speech therapy for children with ASD.

## Key findings

- Children using B-ARM showed improved muscle tonicity compared to those with speech therapy alone.
- Drooling severity decreased significantly in the experimental group after three months.
- B-ARM chewing tube is recommended as a useful tool for oral placement therapy in ASD.

## 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.