Pediatric Myofunctional Therapy
What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is a specialized approach which uses oral-facial exercises to support the development of optimal airway/breathing, oral-facial structural growth, eating and swallowing, and speech production.
The main benefits of getting support for their child
Correct Oral Habits
Enhanced Facial Development
Improved Speech and Swallowing
That’s where myofunctional speech therapy can help!
Is Myo right for your child?
This approach requires additional intensive training (28+ hours). Several of our therapists have completed the additional courses in order to provide the highest level of specialized services for our clients with oral functional deficits.
Therapy will look different depending on the child’s age, neurological status, sensory needs, and cognitive level. An individualized therapy plan will be developed for your child which can include oral motor exercises, feeding/chewing tasks, and speech production tasks. Depending on your child’s oral-functional deficits and oral-structural status, we may need to make a referral to another medical provider such as an orthodontist, dentist, ENT, or chiropractor, as part of their treatment plan. Treating myofunctional disorders often is a team approach and we work closely with other skilled providers to help improve your child’s oral function and quality of life!
Signs of Tongue Tie in Children
Postural Maladaptation
Mouth Breathing
Low resting tongue position
Swallow dysfunction, tongue thrust
Sleep issues
Neck and shoulder tension
Picky eating
Clenching, grinding, sleep bruxism
Reflux, heartburn, digestion issues
We provide therapy for pre- and post- operative tongue and/or lip tie releases!
Prior to undergoing a frenectomy, our speech language pathologists’ will begin to stimulate the child’s lips, cheeks, and tongue while using a variety of oral motor tools. The goal is to help your child become familiar with the oral motor exercises and sensations prior to the surgical intervention. Specifically, the therapist will work on developing the muscle tone, graded strength and dissociation of movements in muscle groups.
Depending on your child’s age, the therapist may work on both passive and active movement exercises to improve oral function before and after a release. Post-operative care can include feeding therapy, myofunctional therapy, and neuromuscular re-education in order to teach the muscles HOW to move now that there isn’t a restriction. Pre- and Post-operative care is an important piece of the treatment process and is crucial for maximizing outcomes!
Parent Love for Brave Wings Therapy
“We have been a part of the Brave Wings family since November 2018 and we have been blown away at the expertise and knowledge of each and every therapist. Therapy sessions are designed specifically to challenge the child while helping to strengthen their area of weakness. Feedback is given at end of each session with suggestions of activities to focus on at home as practice. My son has made tremendous progress in so many ways and we owe that to the SLPs and OTs here. Highly recommend to everyone looking for speech therapy and occupational therapy. My son looks forward to his sessions each and every week!”
- Angela C.
