Chewing Difficulties in Children, Feeding Behavior Challenges, Impaired Chewing Function, Oral-motor Dysfunction
Conditions
Keywords
Chewing disorder, Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KCPS), Oral awareness, Pediatric rehabilitation, Sensory integration therapy.
Brief summary
Brief Summary The goal of this study is to learn if whole-body sensory integration therapy can improve chewing skills and mealtime behaviors in children with chewing difficulties. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the therapy help children chew food better? Does it make mealtimes shorter and more efficient? Participants will: Attend individual sensory integration therapy sessions for 60 minutes, three times a week for 4 weeks Take part in exercises such as vibration, crawling through a tunnel, therapeutic brushing, joint and oral exercises, and sensory activities Be observed for chewing performance and report meal duration and daily meal frequency before and after the therapy Researchers will compare the results from before and after the therapy to see if chewing skills and feeding behaviors improve.
Detailed description
Detailed Description The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of whole-body sensory integration therapy on chewing function, meal duration, and feeding behaviors in children with chewing difficulties. Chewing difficulties in children can arise from developmental disorders, such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, or other neuromotor impairments. These difficulties can negatively affect nutritional intake, growth, and overall quality of life. This study will include 31 children aged between 3 and 12 years who exhibit observable challenges in chewing or feeding. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive whole-body sensory integration therapy three times per week for 4 weeks. Each therapy session will last approximately 60 minutes and include activities designed to enhance oral-motor function, chewing skills, body coordination, balance, and sensory processing. Examples of therapy activities include: Chewing exercises using therapy tools (e.g., chewing sticks, textured foods) Oral-motor exercises to strengthen lips, tongue, and jaw muscles Proprioceptive and vestibular activities such as crawling, climbing, balancing, and swinging Play-based tasks that integrate sensory input with functional feeding activities Parents or caregivers will be guided to support therapy exercises at home to reinforce skill acquisition. Outcome measures will be collected at baseline and after the 4-week intervention. The primary outcome is improvement in chewing function, assessed using standardized tools suitable for pediatric populations. Secondary outcomes include changes in meal duration, frequency of meals, and overall feeding behaviors. It is hypothesized that children receiving whole-body sensory integration therapy will demonstrate significant improvements in chewing efficiency, reduced meal times, and enhanced feeding behaviors compared to the control group. This study aims to provide evidence for the inclusion of sensory integration therapy as a clinical intervention to support feeding skills in children with chewing difficulties.
Interventions
Sensory integration therapy (SIT) was delivered individually in a play-based format, three times per week for four weeks, totaling 12 sessions. Each session lasted 60 minutes, and parents were instructed to reinforce the activities at home as homework. All interventions were administered one-on-one by an experienced therapist in a therapy room. The therapist who administered the intervention did not take part in the evaluation process; therefore, the study was conducted in a single-blind manner. Before the intervention, a trust-based relationship was established with the children, and sensory activities were performed within a play context. The interventions were not limited to oral activities but aimed to support overall sensory development \[8\]. Based on this program, sensory integration procedures were applied at regular intervals.
Sponsors
Necmettin Erbakan University
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Masking description
The outcomes assessor was blinded; the researcher administering the intervention was not involved in the assessments
Intervention model description
This study was conducted as an experimental, single-group, pretest-posttest design. Participants received whole-body sensory integration therapy, and pre- and post-intervention assessments were used to evaluate changes in chewing function and feeding behaviors
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
4 Years to 10 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Children with chewing difficulties aged around 5 years (approx. 55-69 months, based on mean ± SD) * Medically stable and able to participate in feeding sessions * Parental consent obtained
Exclusion criteria
* Children with severe medical conditions or genetic syndromes affecting feeding * Children receiving other intensive feeding or sensory interventions during the study * Inability to sit or participate in the evaluation sessions
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chewing performance: | Pre-intervention assessment: Before the start of the therapy. Post-intervention assessment: Immediately after the completion of the therapy program (4 weeks). | Assessed using the Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KCPS). |
| Meal frequency and duration | Pre-intervention assessment: Before the start of the therapy. Post-intervention assessment: Immediately after the completion of the therapy program (4 weeks). | Average daily meal frequency and meal duration recorded via parent interviews. |
| Sociodemographic data: | Before the start of the therapy. | Age, sex, height, weight, and diagnosis. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed