Mindful Moves Speech and Myo

05/20/2026

As a Speech Pathologist I am talking all the time and asking others to do the same, but there are times when things should be quiet. If those things are not quiet, you may want to seek out evaluation by your primary care physician for appropriate referrals. You may also benefit from assessment by a licensed professional trained in orofacial myofunctional therapy to rule out Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders as contributors.

05/10/2026

Space between baby teeth is a good thing for airway development—it often reflects broader dental arches and healthy jaw growth, which can support better nasal breathing and more room for the tongue.

05/04/2026

I'm so delighted to be invited back to The Cafe of Life for this talk on how to support early feeding and oral development! Here is the link to register for this free talk if you are local: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/743899211567?aff=oddtdtcreator

05/01/2026

Did you guess breathing through the nose? The tongue and lips work together to form a gentle vacuum in the mouth when the lips are closed and the tongue is lightly suctioned in the palate. Once the lips open even slightly, that seal is broken and the tongue falls low. A full assessment can help determine if mouth breathing has an underlying structural cause.

This is why we work in teams and refer out to ENT, Allergists, Airway dentists and orthodontists, body workers and other specialists to help support upper airway!

Other areas that may impact outcome that might need to be addressed during or before therapy are:
👅 Tongue Tie or other tethered oral tissues
🦷Not enough room in the palate for the tongue to rest
💪Full body muscle or fascial tension patterns or cranial/skeletal misalignments

04/17/2026

Orofacial Myofunctional therapy is neuromuscular reeducation which uses the principles of intensity, frequency, and duration in practice. Just like swinging a golf club or tennis racquet, playing that song over and over again on your instrument, or getting in your reps at the gym, best outcomes happen with practice. Lots of families I see are busy with life. Fitting in exercises into daily routine, especially for adults, works best. Some of the places people do their Myo are:

🚙oral rest posture while driving or parked in the pick up line
⚽️waiting for a child to finish sports
🚿in the shower-intraoral work because hands are clean
🍳get your reps in while cooking
💻throw in a mint or elastic while working or gaming
🛏️bedtime for breath-work and oral rest posture awareness
🏋️working out for nasal breathing and rest posture

Tying your practice to a routine you do multiple times a day can help as well, like brushing teeth. You are already in front of a mirror. Where do you Myo?

04/16/2026

What should straw drinking look like?

👍lips rounded centrally to make a seal
👍tongue tip up behind teeth for the swallow
👍about 1/4 inch of straw in your lips
👍quiet swallow without slurping, gulping, or coughing
❌no biting straw with your teeth
❌no tucking or compressing your upper lip
❌no putting the straw on top of your tongue

If you or your child lean forward and stick your tongue out to catch the straw, or have bite marks or flattening of your straws, you might be using an immature swallow pattern. This could be related to thumb sucking, difficulty breathing through your nose, tongue or lip ties, or other structural reasons. Your swallow pattern can affect the way you produce speech sounds, the shape of your palate or alignment of your teeth. A licensed professional trained in Orofacial Myofunctional therapy or swallowing such as a speech pathologist or occupational therapist can assess your swallow and determine if retraining is needed.

If you would like to find out more about your swallow, feel free to reach out for more information or to set up an evaluation.

04/16/2026

This is my favorite way. It doesn’t block talking or prevent emergency breathing but just supports the lips to rest gently closed as the stretchy kinesio tape contracts. You can find it on Amazon and in most pharmacies. Myo Tape also has pre-cut rectangles you can paste on your lips if you don’t want to do the cutting :). It pairs well with a functional trainer such as a munchee or myobrace. Tongue up, lips closed, healthy breathing through your nose!

04/15/2026

04/15/2026

Some of the children and even adults I work with are surprised to find out that they need to learn more about cup drinking. Cup drinking for one sip or multiple sips should be:
👍quiet without slurping or gulping
👍both lips meet the rim of the cup
👍there should be no to minimal sound
👍teeth should not rest or bite the rim
👍tongue should not stick out to cup edge
👍your tongue should touch the area behind your top teeth each time you swallow

If this isn’t how you or your child swallows it could be a sign of an Orofacial Myofunctional disorder. If you want to find out more about your swallowing pattern feel free to reach out for an initial phone consult!

04/11/2026

These new games were a hit during our sessions today! Familiar games made new for Orofacial Myofunctional practice with a Myo Memory Match and Myo Moves Boardgame. Mindful Moves Speech and Myo on Teachers Pay Teachers
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/mindful-moves-speech-and-myo