Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Speaking of Speech specializes in myofunctional therapy for children, teens, & adults.
Speech Distortions · Tongue Thrust · Tongue Tie · Lip Ties · Picky Eating · Feeding Disorders · TMD/ TMJD
Myofunctional Evaluations
Evaluations are an essential part of the process. At Speaking of Speech, we will begin with a myofunctional evaluation where our goal is to identify the root cause of your or your child's challenges.
Our comprehensive evaluations will assess speech, eating, breathing, and oral motor skills, as well as look at your sleeping habits.
While speech errors are a common symptom of OMD, along with tongue thrust and misalignment of teeth, finding the root cause is essential to treating the problem.
The results will be used to guide therapy recommendations and goals as well as referrals to other professionals such as ENTs or dentists.
Myofunctional Therapy
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is recommended for children around the age of 4 and up, however, at Speaking of Speech, we specialize in treating children under 4 through feeding therapy.
At Speaking of Speech, our approach to myofunctional therapy for children, teens, and adults will be personalized to each client's unique needs. Using evidence-based tools, your myofunctional therapist will address the root cause of your issues.
We will also create a home exercise program for you or your child as consistent and repetitive practice are key to making efficient and lasting progress.
Signs & Symptoms of a Myofunctional Disorder
-
Speech distortions
-
Mouth breathing
-
Drooling
-
Improper alignment of the teeth
-
Improper development of jaw growth and facial structure
-
Orthodontic relapse
-
Sleep-disordered breathing
-
Long term mouth-breathing patterns that compromise overall healthy breathing
-
Picky eating and delays in feeding and swallowing
-
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD/TMJD)
Correcting Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) can help stabilize current dental and orthodontic treatments, reduce sleep apnea in children and adults caused by OMDs, ease behavioral difficulties/ADHD caused by sleep-disordered breathing, eliminate thumb-sucking, improve speech intelligibility and articulation, and establish normal swallow patterns.
Tongue-Tie Assessment
Tongue-tie is when there is a band of tissue that restricts the movement of the tongue. It is not uncommon for this band of tissue to exist, but it only becomes problematic when function of the tongue is affected. Tongue-tie can affect breastfeeding, swallowing, eating, and speaking. It can have effects lasting into adulthood on dentition, oral structures, breathing (especially at night), and TMJ dysfunction.
Along with a tongue-tie, an individual might also have a lip-tie. A lip-tie might affect breastfeeding but could also create cosmetic issues with dentition as well as possible speech sound issues.
Together, tongue-tie and lip-tie are often called Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs). If you have a question about Tethered Oral Tissues for you or your child, we can help you determine if a functional problem exists and help make a plan for you.
