Myofunctional Therapy
What is Myofunctional Therapy
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is the evidence based treatment of orofacial myofunctional disroders (OMDs) by utilizing postural training of the oral facial muscles. This type of treatment may be beneficial when there is incorrect lip and tongue posture at rest as well as during speech, chewing, and swallowing. Some red flags for OMT include limited tongue movement, messy eating, an open mouth resting posture, mouth breathing, tongue thrust, and difficulty producing the following speech sounds: /s/, /l/, /t/, /d/, /n/, ‘sh’, and ‘dge.’
Who can benefit from Myofunctional Therapy
Due to the complexity of the exercises, clients meeting the following criteria may gain the most benefit from participating in OMT:
- At least 5 years old
- Ability to sit and attend without supports
- Age-appropriate receptive language abilities with the ability to follow complex, multi-step directions
How long will my child need orofacial myofunctional therapy?
Orofacial myofunctional therapy is typically completed in three phases. The length of each phase depends on the consistent home practice for the weekly assigned home programs.
My child is not yet 5 years old, can they benefit from orofacial myofunctional therapy?
Unfortunately, due to the complexity of the exercises, children under 5 years old would not benefit from participating in this type of therapy. However, if you have concerns regarding your child’s oral motor movements, your child may benefit from participating in skilled feeding therapy targeting their functional oral motor skills during chewing movements.
What age does my child need to be to participate in orofacial myofunctional therapy?
To gain the most benefit from orofacial myofunctional therapy, it is recommended that your child is at least 5 years old with the ability to follow complex directions and remain seated without supports.
What are some requirements for orofacial myofunctional therapy?
In order to benefit from orofacial myofunctional therapy, your child must have the ability to sit and attend to tasks, follow complex directions, be at least 5 years old, and be highly motivated to complete home programs.
What are some barriers for success in orofacial myofunctional therapy?
Some barriers to success include a presence of oral habits (i.e. thumb sucking and pacifier use), enlarged tonsils and adenoids, lingual and/or