Family First Myology

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Family First Myology

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Laura Foster, MS, CCC/SLP
Certified Myofunctional Therapist®
Myofunctional and Speech Therapy in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio

https://www.ffmyology.com/

08/01/2026

New research just reinforced what many in the airway world have been saying for years. 👏

Their conclusion, word for word:

"Integrating myofunctional therapy with rapid palatal expansion (RPE) is significantly more effective than structural correction alone for restoring nasal breathing."

Palatal expansion creates the space for improved nasal breathing, but myofunctional therapy helps retrain the muscles and habits that influence breathing, tongue posture, swallowing, and oral function.

When we address both anatomy and function, we're not just creating change—we're helping the body learn how to maintain it.

That's why collaboration between orthodontists, dentists, ENTs, and myofunctional therapists is so important. The best outcomes happen when we treat the whole picture—not just one piece of it.

✨ Better breathing.
✨ Better oral function.
✨ Better long-term outcomes.

As a certified myofunctional therapist, I love seeing research continue to support the multidisciplinary approach that helps patients achieve lasting results.

📚 Reference: Buonanno E, Jubani J, Schirripa M, et al. Effect of myofunctional therapy associated with rapid palatal expansion on the restoration of nasal breathing in pediatric patients. Annali di Stomatologia. 2026;17(2):293–300.

07/28/2026

Did you know these challenges may be connected? 👇

Many parents don't realize that the way a child breathes, sleeps, and uses the muscles of the mouth can influence far more than just eating.

Research has found:
💙 Up to 81% of children with speech sound disorders also present with an orofacial myofunctional disorder.
💚 Approximately 50% of children with anxiety have sleep-disordered breathing.
🧡 Approximately 50% of children with ADHD have sleep-disordered breathing.

Speech delays, ADHD, and anxiety are conditions are complex and often have multiple contributing factors. However, poor sleep and dysfunctional oral habits may play an important role for some children.

If your child snores, breathes through their mouth, sleeps restlessly, has speech difficulties, struggles with attention, or frequently wakes tired, it's worth asking whether airway health and oral function should be part of the conversation.

At Family First Myology, we work alongside pediatricians, ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, and other specialists to help identify and address oral function concerns as one piece of the puzzle.

💬 Have questions about whether your child could benefit from a myofunctional evaluation? Send us a message—we're happy to help.

07/27/2026

Hi! I'm Laura Foster, and I'm so glad you're here!

With so many new faces joining this page, I thought it was the perfect time to re-introduce myself.

I'm Laura Foster, MS, CCC-SLP, a Certified Myofunctional Therapist (CMT®), a Certified Myo Munchee Provider, and I'm trained in the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol.

I've been a speech-language pathologist since 2009, spending the first 6 years working in skilled nursing facilities and the next 10 years serving children in the public schools. While I loved helping my patients and students, I knew there was another piece of the puzzle that often wasn't being addressed.

Ironically, it was my own struggle with TMJ pain and teeth grinding that led me to discover myofunctional therapy and airway health.

The more I learned, the more everything clicked.

I began to understand how breathing, sleep, tongue posture, oral habits, and muscle function can impact so much more than speech—including feeding, orthodontic stability, facial growth, sleep quality, and overall health.

I was amazed that so many children and adults were living with challenges that could potentially be improved through non-invasive, evidence-informed therapy and collaboration with dentists, ENTs, orthodontists, physicians, and other healthcare providers.

That realization completely changed the direction of my career.

In early 2025, I started Family First Myology with one mission:

❤️ To help families get to the root cause—not just manage the symptoms.

Whether your child has speech difficulties, mouth breathing, restless sleep, tongue thrust, picky eating, prolonged thumb sucking, or orthodontic concerns—or you're an adult struggling with TMJ pain, clenching, teeth grinding, or poor sleep—my goal is to educate, empower, and provide individualized care.

I'm so grateful you're here, and I look forward to sharing education, research, success stories, and practical tips to help you and your family breathe, sleep, speak, and function better.

07/25/2026

The earlier we support healthy oral development, the stronger the foundation for breathing, feeding, speech, and facial growth. While she's happily chewing away, she's also giving those growing muscles and bones the opportunity to develop the way nature intended.

💙 I'm proud to be a Certified Myo Munchee Provider! That means I can help determine which Munchee is right for your child and teach you how to use it effectively. The Myo Munchee Bébé, specially designed for babies, is exclusively available through certified providers to ensure families receive the proper education and support.

06/28/2026

✨ Form Follows Function ✨
The way your teeth and jaws develop is influenced by how your oral and facial muscles function every day.
When muscles aren't working as they should—whether it's mouth breathing, low tongue posture, tongue thrust, or other oral myofunctional disorders—it can contribute to malocclusions like open bites, overjets, overbites, and crowded teeth. Even after orthodontic treatment, these underlying habits can lead to orthodontic relapse if they aren't addressed.
💙 The good news? Myofunctional therapy can help!
By improving breathing, tongue posture, swallowing patterns, and oral muscle function, myofunctional therapy supports healthy facial growth, promotes stable orthodontic results, and enhances overall oral and airway health.
🌱 Early intervention is ideal because it can help guide proper growth and development—but it's never too late to improve your oral function, breathing, and long-term health.
Healthy function creates lasting form. 💙

06/20/2026

When will this become common knowledge?

05/23/2026

Heads up for families planning to use HOPE Scholarship funds in August:

I’ve had several people mention they plan to schedule once their scholarship funds hit in August — and that’s totally fine! I just want to give everyone a realistic heads-up that we are already scheduling new clients into August right now.
If you’re hoping for an August spot, I strongly recommend getting on the schedule sooner rather than waiting until funds arrive. You can always plan ahead now so you have a place reserved when the time comes. 💛

05/16/2026

Traditional myofunctional therapy is typically introduced around age 4 and up, but early intervention can make a meaningful difference in airway development, breathing habits, and sleep quality.

That’s why I’ve been expanding my training to support children ages 0–4 as well—focusing on foundational habits for nasal breathing, healthy sleep, and optimal jaw development during these critical early years.

Recently, I worked with a one-year-old whose mom was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. He was waking 8–10 times per night and mouth breathing most of the time. After four sessions, mom reported a significant change—he was down to waking just 1–2 times nightly.

When a baby sleeps better, the entire household feels the impact.

One message from this family will stay with me: “You have brought our family so much peace.”

It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to this little friend, but I’m grateful to have been part of their journey.

04/25/2026

We are so excited to connect with families at the WV Homeschool Convention! If you’ve been curious about myofunctional therapy, how it can support breathing, sleep, focus, and overall health, we’d love to chat with you. Stop by, ask questions, and learn how we’re helping families thrive—can’t wait to meet you!

04/23/2026

Please join us in welcoming Kerilyn Wilkins, MS, CCC-SLP, as the newest provider at Family First Myology!
Kerilyn was born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, and earned both her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (2018) and her Master of Science in Speech Pathology (2020) from West Virginia University. She spent several years serving students in the public school system before feeling called to a new path.

Through both advanced training and her own personal experience with myofunctional therapy, Kerilyn saw firsthand how powerful this work can be. That passion ultimately led her to Family First Myology, where she’s excited to begin this next chapter.
Kerilyn is looking forward to meeting you and helping you breathe, sleep, and live better!

Address

Bridgeport, WV

Telephone

+13046274329

Website

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-healthy-harrison-podcast/id1561169152?i=1000718510758, https://podcasts.apple.

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