Improper swallowing
Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional Therapy in Fort Worth and Haslet, Texas
Improve problems with articulation and dental misalignmentare caused by abnormal pressure of the tongue against the teeth during swallowing.
What are Myofunctional Disorders Treated Through Myofunctional Therapy?
Disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth are known as orofacial myofunctional disorders or OMDs. The tongue’s position when swallowing can create many health issues later in life that can even impact the way your child looks and speaks.
On the other hand, OMDs directly or indirectly affect many other functions, such as chewing, facial skeletal growth, temporomandibular joint movement, occlusion, facial aesthetics, breastfeeding, and oral hygiene. All of these abnormalities could be corrected with myofunctional therapy.
While a pacifier may let you get a bit more sleep or the chance to go to the bathroom alone when your child is still new to the world, sucking on a pacifier is one of the most common causes for myofunctional abnormalities.
Prolonged use of a bottle, thumb/finger sucking and mouth breathing are other common occurrences that lead to the need for myofunctional therapy.
Myofunctional therapy helps improve breathing, bite and orofacial posture. Often, problems with articulation and dental misalignmentare caused by abnormal pressure of the tongue against the teeth during swallowing.These issues are typically visible and therapy services are required to correct them. Therapy may consist of exercises and strengthening to help to correct issues stemming from abnormal lip, jaw or tongue position during rest, eating or speech.
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We are proud to have served more than 600 Dallas-Fort Worth area families.
Call us today to learn more about our philosophy for care and how we can help your family.
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Symptoms Of OMDs
The most common signs and symptoms of orofacial myofunctional disorders include:
Does your child need an assessment?
We have noticed that myofunctional therapy is commonly not sought after until after the poor habits or structural issues begin to impact speech, sleeping and other areas of a child’s life. To learn more about myofunctional therapy and in what ways it may help your child, check out the resources below.
We understand it is difficult to seek help for your child and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
We invite you to give us a call If you have further questions regarding speech therapy, or would like to schedule an initial evaluation
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Insurance Carriers
Most major insurance companies have plans that cover our therapy services.
Check with your provider to make sure coverage includes the treatments Little Red Wagon Pediatric Therapy offers. If you have a question, or your insurance company is not listed below, give us a call – we’ll be glad to help.
Out of Network Insurance Carriers
FAQ's
What to know about the initial evaluation
How long is an initial evaluation?
Evaluation length will depend on your child’s individual needs; an evaluation may last 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
Will the therapist who evaluates my child also treat my child?
All staff at Goodwin Therapy Specialists are highly qualified and work as a team to help your child meet their fullest potential. Depending on your child’s needs, family availability and therapist availability, it is possible your child will receive services with another therapist following the initial evaluation.
Do I need to bring anything to the evaluation?
Please bring your insurance card and a photo ID. If your child has previously received services from another source, whether it be a different facility or the school district, bring a copy of any prior evaluations/IEP.
What to expect when your child begins therapy
Do I need to be present for my child's therapy session? Can I observe the therapy session?
We deeply value family support and education and believe that it is the key to success when working with our families. For this reason, we do ask that parents plan to be part of their child’s therapy session.
It is important that you are an active participant in your child’s therapy to ensure carryover into the home/community and for the therapist to answer and address any questions or concerns you may have.
How long will my child require treatment? How many times a week will my child have to go to therapy?
The duration and frequency of your child’s treatment is highly dependent on the results of the evaluation, the child’s motivation to succeed and family participation.
Since our care plans are highly personalized to each child and based on the child’s needs and severity of their delay, therapy duration and frequency will be discussed at the end of the initial evaluation and following consequential re-assessments.
How long is each therapy session?
- Speech/feeding/myofunctionaltherapy sessions typically last 30-40 minutes.
- Occupational therapy sessions typically last 45-60 minutes.
How do I know what to work on at home?
At the conclusion of each therapy session, the therapist will provide you with strategies, techniques and written/verbal homework to complete at home until your next session.
