Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is an exercise-based approach that targets the way the muscles of the face, tongue, and airway work together for breathing, swallowing, and speech.
What are Myofunctional Disorders?
Movement patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature, which result in incorrect positioning of the tongue at rest and during swallowing, breathing, and speech
Can co-occur with a variety of speech and swallowing disorders
Can be caused by a combination of learned behaviors, structural differences, and genetic and environmental factors
What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is not non-speech oral motor exercises; it is a structured treatment approach that helps:
The tongue rest in the right position
Improve oral breathing patterns
Support swallowing functions
Create the muscle coordination needed for speech
Myofunctional therapy aims to improve essential oral functions.
Targets tongue placement, stability, and coordination
Directly connected to swallowing and speech function
Supports breathing and airway health
How does treatment vary across ages?
The ideal approach for infants and young children (birth to 4-years) is MYO-informed feeding therapy. Therapy is play-based. As the child matures, can imitate the clinician, and is able to self-monitor, more advanced therapy techniques will be utilized.
Older children, teens, and adults will engage in structured treatment tasks, which address their unique individual needs. Therapy may focus on breath work, correct oral resting posture, and strengthening of the muscles of the face to support accurate speech production, as well as proper chewing and swallowing.