If you’ve spent time around speech therapy recently, you may have heard the termmyofunctional therapy (often called “MYO”).
You might also hear questions like:
“Does your child usually keep their mouth open at rest?” or
“Where does their tongue sit when they’re not talking?”
If you’re thinking you’ve never really paid attention to that before, you’re not alone.
Most parents don’t think about tongue posture or mouth habits during the day—but these patterns can play a bigger role in speech and development than many people realize.
What is myofunctional therapy?
Myofunctional therapy focuses on how the muscles of the mouth and face work together. The goal is to help these muscles function in a more natural, efficient way throughout the day.
This includes things like:
- Tongue resting position
- Lip closure at rest
- Nasal breathing
- Swallowing patterns
Ideally, the tongue rests gently on the roof of the mouth, the lips stay closed, and breathing happens through the nose.
Therapy uses simple exercises and daily habit changes to help children develop and maintain these patterns over time. Think of it as building consistent “muscle memory” for how the mouth should function.
Why does this matter for speech?
Speech therapy often focuses on sounds like /s/, /r/, /l/, and “sh.” Many children make progress, but some struggle to carry those skills into everyday conversation.
In some cases, the underlying issue is related to oral muscle patterns.
If the tongue rests low in the mouth, moves forward, or lacks stability, it can make it harder to produce and maintain clear speech sounds consistently.
Myofunctional therapy helps by improving:
- Tongue strength and coordination
- Stability during speech production
- Consistency of speech sounds outside of therapy sessions
This creates a stronger foundation for speech skills to build on.
It’s about more than speech
Oral muscle function affects more than articulation. It can also play a role in:
- Eating and chewing efficiency
- Mouth breathing vs. nasal breathing
- Sleep quality
- Jaw and dental development
Because these systems are connected, professionals such as speech-language pathologists, dentists, orthodontists, and ENTs often collaborate when these concerns are present.
How speech therapy and MYO work together
Speech therapy and myofunctional therapy support different parts of the same system.
- Speech therapy focuses on teaching correct speech sounds
- Myofunctional therapy focuses on the muscle patterns that support those sounds
When used together, they can help children:
- Improve speech clarity
- Maintain progress more consistently
- Reduce frustration when progress feels slow
Signs parents may notice
Not every child with these behaviors needs therapy, but common patterns may include:
- Mouth open at rest
- Mouth breathing
- Snoring or restless sleep
- Speech sounds that are unclear or distorted
- Difficulty chewing or messy eating
- Tongue pushing against or between teeth
- Trouble keeping lips closed
If you notice several of these consistently, it may be helpful to consult a speech-language pathologist.
The takeaway
Myofunctional therapy is not about adding complexity—it’s about supporting how the mouth works throughout the day.
When the tongue, lips, and breathing patterns are working together, it can positively influence a child’s:
- Speech
- Eating
- Breathing
- Sleep
- Overall development
At ACT Therapy Services, they focus on understanding the full picture so children can make meaningful and lasting progress.
If you’d like to learn more, visit this link to see how we support families and help children build strong communication foundations.
