Marshalla Oral Sensorimotor Test
MOST: Marshalla Oral Sensorimotor Test
For Therapists
Description
The Marshalla Oral Sensorimotor Test (MOST) is a comprehensive and quick assessment designed to put a numerical value on oral movement, oral-tactile sensitivity, facial and oral tone, as well as basic respiration, phonation, and resonation skills. The MOST is the first exam to allow speech-language pathologists an opportunity to place a numerical value on the oral exam.
Clients: The MOST is designed to identify jaw, lip, and tongue movement problems in children with articulation and phonological delay or disorder. It is optimal for children with concomitant feeding difficulties, neurological deficits, developmental disorders, and sensory processing disorders. Appropriate for children four years and older.
Scoring: The MOST provides an Overall Oral Sensorimotor Score as well as individual scores on subtests. Scores can be used to measure pre- and post-treatment abilities in test areas. This easy-to-use evaluation allows the therapist to identify strengths and weaknesses in the following areas:
- Jaw Movements
- Lip Movements
- Tongue Movements
- Oscillating Jaw, Lip, and Tongue Movements
- Oral and Facial Tone
- Respiration and Phonation Skills
- Resonance
- Oral-Tactile Sensitivity
Subtests: The subtests of the MOST allow the examiner to look closely at individual areas of speech motor control.
- The Motor Function subtests of the MOST are designed to identify a client's control of jaw, lip, and tongue movements and praxis through 21 simple probes.
- The Sensory Function subtest measures the client’s responses to incoming tactile stimulation to various areas inside and outside of the oral cavity using multiple textures in 8 simple probes.
- The Respiration and Phonation subtest provides a child-friendly examination of basic respiration and phonation skills using kazoos and whistles.
- The Resonation subtest allows the examiner to put a numerical value of the characteristics of hyper- and hypo-nasality.
- The Oral and Facial Tone subtest provides two simple procedures for specifying muscular tone in the face, lips and tongue.
Data:
- Ages: 4 years and older
- Testing Time: 15-30 minutes
- Criterion-referenced ages: 4.0 to 7.11
Contents: The MOST kit includes an examiner's manual, test easel, 30 Record Forms, 30 Case History Forms, all the oral-motor supplies to give the test, and a sturdy tote bag. Large illustrations on the test easel are a beautiful guide provided for the therapist to use as a model for each test item.
Report Writing: Speech-language pathologists often write general observations about respiration, phonation, resonation, and oral movement. The MOST allows speech-language pathologists to provide scores to back up their claims. Examples are offered in the table below:
| Test Area | Typical Report Statement | MOST Report Statement |
| General Oral Movement | "John did not move his oral mechanism well." | "John achieved a score of 5/21 on the Motor Function subtest of the MOST, indicating very poor control of jaw, lip, and tongue movements." |
| General Oral Movement | "John didn't seem to have any problems moving his mouth." | "John achieved a score of 21/21 on the Motor Function subtest of the MOST, indicating excellent control of jaw, lip, and tongue movements." |
| Oral-Tactile Sensitivity | "John did not like to be touched around his mouth." | "John achieved a score of 1/8 on the Sensory Function subtest of the MOST, indicating limitations in his ability to tolerate tactile stimulation to the oral mechanism." |
| Tongue Movement | "John demonstrated poor control of tongue movement." | "John scored 2/8 on the Tongue Function subtest of the MOST. He failed all items related to tongue placement." |
| Respiration | "Breath support was questionable." | "John scored 1/9 on the Respiration and Phonation subtest of the MOST. He failed all tests of basic skill in inhalation and exhalation." |
| Resonation | "John appeared hypernasal." | "John scored 1/5 on the Resonation subtest of the MOST. He was hypernasal on vowels and fricatives, and he demonstrated nasal bleed across phonemes." |
Publication: The MOST has been published by, and is available at, SuperDuper Publications, Inc. It is available through their online and paper catalogue. Their website also includes online access to audio samples for test administration. Visit Super Duper Publications.