Oro-facial Myofunctional Therapy
Orofacial myofunctional therapy (or 'myo') is a treatment modality that can be used by speech pathologist once they have completed the additional training. Makaela has completed additional accreditation with the Australian Academy of Orofacial Myology.
Myo treatment is traditionally used for children over the age of 4 as it required voluntary participation to complete the treatment but many myo disorders can be identified in very young children and serve as red flags for things to watch as the child grows and develops.
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What is myo?
It is treatment for the mouth and facial muscles to correct the functional activities of the lips, tongue and jaw so that optimal growth and development can occur. It established and restores the correct muscle function for speech development, eating and breathing.
What myo disorders can we help with?
Oral habits including:
- thumb and finger sucking
- long term dummy sucking
- excessive drooling
- lip and chin licking
- Lip and nail biting
- Teeth occlusion and alignments issues including open bite and some cross bites
- Mouth breathing
- Open lips and mouth resting posture
- Forward head and shoulder posture
- Tongue tie
- Sleep disordered breathing
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- Speech issues including:
- incorrect tongue position for articulation
- anterior and lateral lisps
- hyper and hypo nasality
- Atypical speech sound production with abnormal lingual-dental articulatory placement which results in difficulty producing particular sounds including (/t/, /d/, /n/, /r/ /k/, /g/, /s/, /z/, /sh/, /ch/, /dj/).
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- Learning and behaviour issues including poor concentration
- Facial or TMJ pain
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Is there anyone that shouldn't receive myo therapy?
We work closely with a number of other professionals to make sure you receive the best possible care. There are certain circumstances where we would recommend you see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist or dentist/orthodontist before you commence any myo work.
This might include:
- Nasal obstructions due to trauma, allergies or congenital issues
- when the patient is dependent on an expansion device
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The most important thing to remember is that this is a therapy where the patient has to be willing and motivated to participate. So careful consideration should be given to if this is the right time for you and your family.