top of page

Helping children improve oral muscle function for better breathing, swallowing, and articulation.

Upcoming Events

  • Oral Habit Workshop
    Oral Habit Workshop
    Wed, May 15
    Zoom
    Oral Habit Workshop
    May 15, 2024, 7:00 PM EDT
    Zoom
    Tired of the thumbsucking or your little one not letting go of the pacifier? Join this 1-hour workshop to discover reasons why your child may be continuing this habit and learn techniques to reduce the behavior. This could prevent significant breathing, dental, and speech impairments.
    Register

Speech therapy for lifelong success

Regina, the founder of Practical Speech LLC, has worked in schools and early intervention and has seen how frustratingly slow progress can be. Speech therapy doesn't need to take years. If your child has been engaged in speech therapy for an extended period with little improvement, it could indicate an underlying orofacial myofunctional disorder. Here at Practical Speech LLC, we focus on patients aged 12 months to 18 years old, but we also work with adult clients! We emphasize a wholistic approach to speech therapy, taking multiple factors into account and working collaboratively with other healthcare providers to create a treatment plan that meets your child’s specific needs. Your time is precious. Help your child maximize their communication skills quickly, so your family can spend more time focusing on the fun stuff! With our proactive approach, your preschool- or school-aged child can improve their oral muscle function and start communicating better in as little as six weeks.

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)

An Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD for short) is any atypical or adaptive oral pattern/habit that develops instead of typical oral habits. Since bone follows muscle as our bodies grow, atypical oral habits contribute to abnormal jaw growth/position, orthodontic relapse, narrow palatal arch, and cavities.

Adapted from the International Association of Orofacial Myology

  • Persistent speech errors, often /r, sh, ch, s, j, l/

 

  • Tongue thurst swallow past toddlerhood
  • Messy eating in school-aged and older kids
  • Chewing on only one side of the mouth
  • Thumb/finger sucking
  • Lips apart at rest
  • Tongue on "floor" of mouth at rest
  • Drooling
  • Snoring
“Regina is the best. She got to know my daughter on a personal level and tailored her therapy to not only her needs but to lessons and exercises that would keep her interest. My daughter couldn’t wait to get out of class for a little while and have fun with Ms. Regina. Little did she know she was learning and mastering her speech issues along the way. I thought we had a long road of struggling ahead of us but Regina worked her magic and she graduated out of the IEP in less than 3 years, even during the pandemic, which was no small feat!"
- From Vienna T.

Alexa Young, CA

OMDs are More Common in Kids with Speech Errors

Adapted from the International Association of Orofacial Myology

Speech Errors are Often a Symptom of an OMD

For clear speech, the tongue should rest suctioned to the roof of the mouth, with the lips closed and lightly touching. When there is a dysfunction of the oral-motor system and its rest posture, your child can't get their tongue into the proper spot for speech. This is most commonly seen on /s/, /l/, /r/, /ch/, /sh/, and /j/ sounds.

Download our Guide to Improving Oral Function

Click the button below for a guide to 5 things you can do today to improve your child's oral function!

Ready to work with us? Fill out the form for a free consultation!

Thanks for submitting!

bottom of page