MMBGR Protocol – Infants and Preschoolers: Myofunctional Orofacial Clinic Examination

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To present the Myofunctional Orofacial Clinical Examination Protocol belonging to the MMBGR Protocol - Infants and Preschoolers, including its validation.

Methods

Initially, test content-based validity was evaluated from the MBGR Protocol to be used with the age group between 6 and 71 months based on the bibliography and experience between the authors (original and current). For the content and appearance analysis, 10 speech therapists specialized in Orofacial Motricity attended and filled out an electronic form with dichotic and Likert scale questions in two moments. We used the Content Validity Index and the Exact Binomial Test. Then there was a validity based on the response processes analysis followed by a reliability of the Clinical Examination with 155 participants by 7 experienced and calibrated speech therapists, and the examiners between and within agreement was verified by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient.

Results

There were additions, modifications, and exclusions of items according to the age group, resulting in the Myofunctional Orofacial Clinical Examination Protocol for Infants and Preschoolers, which obtained 90.5% agreement; and 100% of the appropriate scores by at least 90% of the specialists. In reliability, most items of the Extraoral and Intraoral Examination and Chewing obtained a reasonable to good, or even excellent, agreement.

Conclusion

The “Clinical Myofunctional Clinical Examination” was validated based on the test content, response process, and reliability and, along with the “Instructional” and the “Clinical History” is part of the “MMBGR Protocol - Infants and Preschoolers” for speech therapy activities in the age group between 6 and 71 months of age.

Keywords
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Infant; Child, Preschool; Validation Studies; Myofunctional Therapy; Stomatognathic System