994 Village Square Drive, Building 6, Condo K, Tomball, TX
SPECIALIZED OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL EVALUATIONS
At Bluebonnet Therapy Services, we understand that a child's facial growth, airway, sleep quality, feeding, and speech skills are all interconnected. Our specialized evaluation process allows us to look at all of these areas to determine the root causes of your child's symptoms. Each evaluation includes:
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Detailed medical, developmental, and health history
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Patient and/or parent interview
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A review of current or previous therapy
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Assessment of oral and facial muscles, including pictures, measurements, and videos
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Feeding and swallowing assessment
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Speech sound assessment
Evaluations are the starting point for successful therapy. Once we identify the underlying reasons for your child's challenges, we will discuss our findings, address your questions, and work together to create a tailored treatment plan. Referrals will be made as needed.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF A MYOFUNCTIONAL DISORDER
Here are some common signs and symptoms of orofacial myofunctional disorders in children:
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Tongue thrust (e.g., tongue pushing past the teeth, even when a person is not talking or using the tongue)
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Open mouth at rest and mouth breathing
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Excessive drooling
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Teeth clenching or grinding
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Frequent chapped lips
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Prolonged oral habits (e.g., thumb or finger sucking, pacifier use, nail-biting, chewing objects)
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Articulation or speech sound issues, particularly with the following sounds: t, d, n, s, z, sh, ch, j
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Long facial growth
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Recessed chin
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Poor sleep (e.g., dark circles under eyes, wakes frequently, snores, wakes feeling unrefreshed)
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TMJ issues or jaw pain
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Tongue or lip ties
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Frequent headaches
HOW MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY CAN HELP YOUR CHILD
If your child struggles with breathing from their nose, feeding, getting quality sleep, or with speech sound errors, myofunctional therapy will be life-changing! We will introduce tailored exercises to optimize the function of their jaw, teeth, tongue, and lip muscles. Our goal is to help your child achieve:
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Proper tongue posture and lip closure
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Nasal breathing
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Improved feeding and swallowing
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Accurate speech sounds
At Bluebonnet Therapy Services, we incorporate therapy exercises into fun activities so that your child stays motivated and engaged. If you are unsure if your child would benefit from orofacial myofunctional therapy, please give us a call or schedule a free consultation!
TAKING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO TREAT MYOFUNCTIONAL DISORDERS
We love to collaborate with other professionals to help our clients achieve their myofunctional therapy goals.
We currently work with:
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ENTs
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dentists
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orthodontists
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chiropractors
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other professionals to ensure our patients get the best outcomes in treatment.
We are always happy to provide referrals to families following our initial evaluation.
HOME PRACTICE IS A CRUCIAL PART OF MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY
Home practice is crucial to success in myofunctional therapy.
We work directly with our clients to provide an individualized home practice plan specific to the goals we are working on in therapy.
Home practice programs include:
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daily exercises
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handouts
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video tutorials
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strategies to help with practice.
We also follow up with our clients and their caregivers to see how we can best support them.
HOW OLD DOES MY CHILD NEED TO BE FOR MYOFUCNTIONAL THERAPY?
Myofunctional therapy is ideal for children 5 years and up experiencing difficulty with:
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speech sounds/articulation
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open mouth breathing
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orthodontic relapse
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tongue thrust
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tongue and lip ties
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and more!
Occasionally, we are able to work with younger children depending on their attention and ability to follow directions.
For children 3-4 years of age, we are happy to evaluate and provide helpful early intervention recommendations and make necessary referrals so that you can have the right team of professionals working alongside you.