Myofunctional Therapy 101: What Homeschool Parents Need to Know

Plus a Free 5-Question Screening Tool to Help You Identify Signs Early

As a fellow homeschooling parent, I know you're always watching for signs that your child might need extra support. You notice when they struggle with reading, when math concepts aren't clicking, or when their behavior seems "off." But there's one area that many of us miss entirely, and it could be affecting your child's sleep, behavior, eating, and even their ability to focus during lessons.

It's called Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD), and the signs often look like other things entirely. Myofunctional Therapy is the key to addressing these disorders.

What Is Myofunctional Therapy?

Orofacial myofunctional therapy is a type of therapy that helps retrain the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat. When these muscles don't work correctly, it can affect breathing, eating, sleeping, speech, and facial development.

When your child's tongue rests on the roof of their mouth (where it should be), it naturally helps the roof of the mouth grow wider during childhood. This creates space for teeth to come in straight and allows the airway to develop correctly. When the tongue rests low and forward instead, children miss out on this natural growth process.

The therapy addresses several connected problems:

● Breathing: Helping mouth breathers learn to breathe through their nose, which supports healthy airway growth.

● Tongue and lip position: Teaching the tongue to rest on the roof of the mouth, which helps the palate (roof of the mouth) expand naturally over time.

● Swallowing: Fixing swallowing patterns that can affect digestion and mouth development.

● Chewing: Improving how your child chews food, which helps digestion and prevents stomach problems.

● Oral habits: Stopping thumb sucking or long-term pacifier use.

Why are these habits so hard to break? Our bodies give us a small "feel-good" reward when we do things like suck our thumb or push our tongue forward. This natural reward is what keeps bad oral habits from improving without proper help and retraining.

Just like you might notice if your child has bad posture and visit a physical therapist, you can see a myofunctional therapist to fix the "bad posture" of the tongue, lips, and jaw muscles before it affects your child's overall health.

Why Homeschooling Parents Are Uniquely Positioned to Notice

You see what others miss. As a homeschooling parent, you're with your child during peak learning hours, afternoon slumps, mealtimes, and often bedtime routines. Unlike classroom teachers who see 20-30 students for 6 hours, you observe your child's patterns across all activities and times of day.

Consider these homeschool-specific advantages:

● Learning observations: You notice if your child's focus deteriorates at certain times or if they need frequent breaks

● Flexible scheduling: You can experiment with timing – does morning work go better than afternoon?

● Meal flexibility: You observe eating across all meals, not just a rushed school lunch

● No peer comparison pressure: You can objectively assess your child's development

5 Signs Beyond Speech Issues

While many people think myofunctional therapy is just for speech problems, the signs often show up in entirely different ways:

5-Question Screening Tool for Homeschool Parents

1. Does your child breathe through their mouth during the day or sleep with their mouth open?

Watch during independent reading time, handwriting practice, or while they're concentrating on lessons. Check their face while sleeping during afternoon rest time.

Why this matters: Mouth breathing is one of the most visible signs of myofunctional issues. It can affect facial development, sleep quality, and overall health. You're in the perfect position to observe breathing patterns throughout your homeschool day.

2. Does your child experience sleep issues such as snoring, restless sleep, bedwetting (after age 4-5), or frequent night waking?

Notice if your child resists morning lessons and seems unrested, or if there's a pattern of "bad days" following restless nights.

Why this matters: Sleep-disordered breathing is strongly linked to myofunctional disorders and can manifest as behavioral issues that you might attribute to other causes. Poor sleep affects learning, attention, and emotional regulation – all critical for successful homeschooling.

3. Is your child a picky eater, a messy eater for their age, or do they have difficulty chewing certain textures?

During family meals, notice if your child takes twice as long to eat as siblings, or if you've unconsciously modified their diet to mostly soft foods to avoid battles.

Why this matters: Feeding difficulties often indicate problems with tongue movement and oral muscle coordination. Since homeschooling families typically share multiple meals together, you have more opportunities to observe eating patterns that others might miss.

4. Does your child display frequent inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, or low frustration tolerance that interferes with learning?

Consider if your child seems capable but can't sustain attention for age-appropriate lessons, or if behavior escalates in the afternoon, making lessons nearly impossible.

Why this matters: Up to 25% of children diagnosed with ADHD may actually have sleep-disordered breathing as a contributing factor. Before assuming your child needs ADHD evaluation, rule out sleep and breathing issues.

5. Have you noticed crowded teeth, tongue pushing forward when speaking, frequent drooling (past toddler age), or changes in facial development?

During teeth-brushing supervision, you might notice dental crowding, or your child's face shape seems different from baby photos – more elongated or with a recessed chin.

Why this matters: These structural signs indicate that oral muscle patterns may be affecting facial development and dental alignment. Early intervention can prevent more extensive orthodontic work later.

Common Homeschool Misattributions

Before assuming it's a curriculum problem, learning disability, or discipline issue, consider myofunctional causes:

● "My child just isn't a morning person." → May indicate poor sleep quality from breathing issues

● "We're just a high-energy family." → May be hyperactivity from insufficient oxygenation at night

● "My child is a picky eater like I was." → May indicate oral motor difficulties, not preference

● "They need more challenging work to stay engaged." → May actually need better sleep to sustain attention

● "Maybe we should try a different homeschool method." → May need myofunctional therapy, not a curriculum change

What to Do If You Answered "Yes" to Any Question

Next Steps:

1. Document your observations: Keep a log of specific behaviors, frequencies, and patterns

2. Consult with professionals: Seek evaluation from a certified myofunctional therapist or speech-language pathologist trained in myofunctional therapy

3. Find a provider: Lasting Language Therapy provides myofunctional therapy in the Atlanta area. Out of the area? We can help connect you with certified providers near you.

4. Act early when possible: Intervention during ages 4-7 is most effective, but therapy helps at any age. Many families seek myofunctional therapy specifically to prevent orthodontic relapse, keeping teeth straight after braces come off.

The Homeschool Advantage in Treatment

Unlike children in traditional school, your homeschooled child can:

● Schedule therapy appointments during your school day without "missing" anything.

● Integrate exercises into your daily routine (morning time, transition breaks).

● Practice exercises multiple times throughout the day when attention is optimal.

● Have you as their dedicated accountability partner.

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You're Not Alone: A Message for Homeschooling Parents

If you're reading this and recognizing signs in your child, you might be feeling guilt, overwhelm, or doubt. Here's the truth: You didn't miss anything – you're catching it now because you're paying attention.

Many children in traditional schools go years without anyone noticing these signs. Your close observation and willingness to research are exactly what your child needs.

Taking the next step doesn't mean you've failed as a homeschool parent. It means you're observant, responsive, and willing to give your child the best possible chance at healthy development and successful learning.

Ready to Learn More?

If you're in North Georgia and suspect your child might benefit from myofunctional therapy, I'd love to help. At Lasting Language Therapy, we specialize in orofacial myofunctional therapy and understand the unique needs of homeschooling families.

Call: 470-851-4988

Email: Amanda@lastinglanguage.net

About Amanda Smith, M.A., CCC-SLP

Amanda is a speech-language pathologist specializing in orofacial myofunctional therapy and neurological speech therapy. As a homeschooling parent herself, she understands the unique challenges and advantages of educating children at home. She serves families throughout North Georgia with compassionate, evidence-based care.

Recommended Resources

The Institute of Myofunctional Studies https://myofunctionaltherapy.org/symptoms/

The Untethered Podcast: https://untetheredpodcast.com/

Zaghi MD: https://www.zaghimd.com/myofunctional-therapy

Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT): https://aomtinfo.org/about/

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