5 Signs Your Child May Benefit From Myofunctional Therapy

Many parents don’t realize that things like mouth breathing, picky eating, or even chewing on clothes can signal bigger underlying issues with oral muscle function. If left unaddressed, these habits can impact speech, eating, sleep quality, and even the way a child’s face develops.

Orofacial myofunctional therapy is a specialized approach that strengthens and coordinates the muscles of the face and mouth. One of its biggest goals? Teaching children where their tongue should rest naturally—on the roof of the mouth instead of the floor.

When the tongue stays too low, it can lead to:

• Speech sound difficulties

• Trouble eating or picky eating

• Poor sleep quality

• Changes in facial development

The good news? Myofunctional therapy gets to the root of these issues, helping kids build strong oral habits that improve their ability to speak, eat, and sleep well. Here are 5 signs your child may benefit from myofunctional therapy.

1. Your child has (or had) a tongue tie, lip tie, or cheek tie

If your child was diagnosed with a tongue tie, lip tie, or cheek tie, they may struggle to position their tongue correctly. Even after a tongue tie release, many children continue resting their tongue on the floor of the mouth out of habit.

Myofunctional therapy retrains the tongue to rest in the right spot—supporting better speech, eating, and breathing.

2. Your child has oral habits like thumb sucking or nail biting

Some oral habits are tough to break, but here’s the thing: with the right approach, they can be gone in just a few weeks!

If your child constantly places non-food items in their mouth, their tongue is likely being pushed into the wrong resting position. Some common oral habits include:

• Using a pacifier past 18 months

• Thumb, finger, or even toe sucking (yes, toe sucking happens!)

• Biting nails, clothing, or objects like pencils

A myofunctional therapist can help stop these habits quickly and easily while strengthening the muscles needed for speech and eating.

3. Your child breathes through their mouth most of the time

Mouth breathing isn’t just a habit—it’s often a sign that something is preventing your child from breathing through their nose properly. While it’s normal during a cold, chronic mouth breathing can:

• Weaken facial muscles

• Impact sleep quality

• Change the shape of the face over time

If you notice your child breathing through their mouth all the time, it’s worth looking into.

4. Your child snores or has restless sleep

Snoring isn’t just a noisy sleep habit—it can signal poor airway function. If your child snores, wakes up groggy, struggles with attention, or seems extra irritable during the day, mouth breathing during sleep may be the culprit.

Since snoring is another sign of the tongue resting in the wrong place, myofunctional therapy can help strengthen the muscles needed for better breathing and deeper sleep.

5. Your child has trouble with speech sounds or eating

Up to 80% of kids with speech and feeding challenges also have a myofunctional disorder. If the muscles in the mouth and face are weak, it can make it harder to:

• Pronounce certain sounds correctly

• Chew and swallow food efficiently

• Transition from a bottle to solids

The right therapy can strengthen these muscles and improve both speech clarity and feeding skills at the same time.

What’s Next?

If any of these signs sound familiar, myofunctional therapy could make a big difference for your child!

At Turning Tides Speech Therapy, we specialize in helping children build strong oral habits for clearer speech, easier eating, and better sleep. Breaking oral habits is easier than you think—let’s get started!

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