Myofunctional Therapy
What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is a treatment modality used to remediate Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs).
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM), OMDs are atypical adaptive patterns of movement that interfere with the normal growth, development, and/or function of the orofacial complex — that is, the oral and facial musculature, including the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw (ASHA, 1997–2023; IAOM, 2016–2023).
Some examples of OMDs include, but are not limited to: open mouth breathing, a forward resting posture of the tongue between or against the teeth, tongue thrust swallow, snoring related to OSA, and thumb and finger sucking habits. OMDs can lead to many medical and dental problems including malocclusions (improper alignment of the teeth), abnormal jaw growth and position, mechanical feeding issues and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and speech articulation disorders (ASHA, 1997–2023; IAOM, 2016–2023).
The root causes of OMDs can vary, but "anything that causes the tongue to be misplaced at rest, limits lingual excursions within the oral cavity, makes it difficult to achieve acceptable lip closure, and reduces or impedes the ability to obtain and maintain correct oral rest postures" (ASHA, 1997–2023) may lead to an OMD. Contributing factors may include an obstructed airway (such as enlarged tonsils, enlarged adenoids, and/or allergies), structural or physiological differences (such as ankyloglossia, also known as "tongue tie"), neurological differences, developmental delays, and oral habits (such as prolonged pacifier or bottle use, thumb/finger sucking, nail biting, etc.).
The main goals of a Speech-Language Pathologist who is also a Myofunctional Therapist/Orofacial Myologist include establishing nasal breathing, eliminating oral habits, teaching targeted oral motor exercises, addressing resting tongue and lip posture, correcting chewing and swallowing patterns, and remediating speech articulation patterns (ASHA, 1997–2023).
At Not Too Little Speech Therapy, myofunctional therapy is provided for children who are developmentally ready to participate in structured treatment, typically beginning around 4 years of age. Services related to tethered oral tissues (TOTs), such as lip, tongue, and cheek ties, are addressed when the child is age-appropriate and able to actively participate in therapy following evaluation and medical clearance by a qualified provider.
We are happy to share that our therapists are active members of the IAOM, are in the process of becoming Certified Orofacial Myologists (COMs), and are currently receiving ongoing training from some of the top specialists in oral motor assessment and treatment in the world.