Speech Concerns
It’s important to understand that Myofunctional Therapy and Speech Therapy are not the same thing.
Speech Concerns
Myofunctional therapy exercises can be considered a foundational treatment when approaching speech problems. If the muscles and tongue are not working properly, children and even adults can experience difficulty in producing certain sounds. Therefore, it makes sense to rule out any muscular involvement prior to beginning a speech therapy program.
A lisp is the most common speech concern associated with myofunctional symptoms. Lisping is a symptom that can often be associated with a tongue thrust and/or a mouth breathing habit. Clients with a lisp often struggle to make the correct "S" sound.
⇢ Other specific sounds that are connected with having a low tongue or a tongue thrust are “T”, “D”, “N” and “L”. These sounds require precise movement and placement of the tongue, which makes them challenging for those without fine control of their oral muscles.
⇢ A mouth breathing habit could impact the sounds “B”, “M” and “P” because they all require lip closure.
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) that can impact speech include a low tongue posture, a tongue tie or a mouth breathing habit where there is lack of a proper lip seal. Mumbling, lack of clarity, low voice projection or a nasally voice could all be associated to a myofunctional disorder.