Pediatric Myofunctional Therapy

What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is 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.

Common conditions, diagnoses, and disorders that we can help in pediatric OMT:

  • Picky Eating

  • Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs, tongue ties, lip ties, buccal ties)

  • Failure to Thrive

  • Difficulty with breast and/or bottle feeding

  • Facial and postural asymmetry

  • Speech delays/disorders

  • Mouth Breathing

  • Tongue Thrust

  • Poor sleep patterns

  • Bedwetting (after successful potty training)

  • Swallowing disorders

  • Snoring

  • Low oral muscle tone

  • Drooling

What ages are treated in Myofunctional Therapy?

The traditional approach to OMT focuses on therapy starting at age 4, this is because volition and active participation by the patient is needed and while we agree with this and utilize this approach in our practice, we are unique in that we also are able to apply the principles of OMT to support younger patients. At IWT we provide OMT-based support for patients as early as the first week of life and throughout adolescence. By providing passive intervention and parent education for patients under 4 years old, we are able to

support optimal growth and development with the goal of avoiding or lessening the dysfunction that myofunctional disorders can have. For patients 4 years and older, myofunctional programs focus on the patient’s active participation to achieve the goals of therapy. Myofunctional Therapy techniques at any age in childhood can drastically improve quality of life, growth, and development.

Want to know if myofunctional therapy is right for your child?

Use our Free Parent Screening Tool to identify signs and symptoms in your child! Feel free to call or email our office with any questions!

Free Parent Guide for Understanding Tongue and Lip Ties!

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