Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional Therapy focuses on the assessment and treatment of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD). OMDs refer to the growth, development, and function of orofacial structures. These disorders commonly occur comorbidly with speech, feeding, and swallowing disorders. OMDs can impact many areas of function and performance, especially for children. Some areas affected include sleep, hyperactivity, feeding, articulation, facial and postural symmetry, nasal breathing, eruption of teeth, and growth pattern of jaw.
Myofunctional Therapy is performed by highly skilled therapists with additional training and certifications beyond their graduate level therapy degrees. The goal of therapy is to establish and/or restore optimal function of the orofacial complex. Often therapy must be paired with other service providers that provide intervention for structural abnormalities that therapy alone cannot fix. Research shows that the pairing of dental, orthodontic, ENT, sleep specialists, and airway specialists with my-functional therapeutic intervention provides the most optimal outcomes for patients. The combination of services supports a decrease in relapse or recurrence of structural abnormalities or issues and increases client's optimal outcomes, as therapy retrains the brain and the orofacial complex for correct positioning, muscle tone, praxis, and correct functional skills for eating, swallowing, speech.
Myo for Everyone!
The overall goals of myofunctional therapy are the same for everyone, regardless of age or presentation. The goals are correct oral resting posture with lip seal, nasal breathing, tongue posture, and correct swallow patterns. These goals are addressed differently based on the clients age, presentation, and concerns, but these overarching goals are still the focal point for all patients. After all, the goals support optimal breathing, eating, swallowing, and sleep which every human, at every age, benefits from doing correctly!
Scroll down to learn about the different programs we offer for myofunctional therapy!
Myofunctional Therapy Services
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Pediatrics
Pediatric Myofunctiona Therapy is provided for clients 0 - 18 years old at IWT. Clients under 4 years old are required to be seen in the office, clients that are older may be seen virtually, through our teletherapy platform, if appropriate!
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Adults
Adult services can be appropriate for anyone over 18 years old and are typically provided virtually through our teletherapy platform to provide access and convenience. Adult clients are welcome to be seen in office if that is their preference.
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Athletes
Myofunctional Therapy for this group is provided in various settings, including teletherapy, in clinic, at a training facility, or as part of a team program. This can be appropriate for athletes of any sport and is typically most beneficial for athletes 10 and older.