Myofunctional Swallowing Therapy for Children

How a child swallows, rests their tongue, and uses their oral muscles plays an important role in speech, feeding, and overall development. When oral patterns aren’t working efficiently, they can impact comfort, clarity, and long-term growth. Myofunctional swallowing therapy helps children develop healthier oral patterns that support communication, feeding, and functional development.

What Is Myofunctional Swallowing?

Myofunctional swallowing refers to how the tongue, lips, and oral muscles work together during swallowing and at rest. Some children develop a tongue thrust swallow, where the tongue pushes forward instead of resting and moving in a mature pattern.

These patterns can affect speech clarity, feeding efficiency, oral comfort, and even dental development. Myofunctional therapy focuses on retraining oral muscles to support healthy, functional movement.

When Should I Be Concerned?

You may want to explore myofunctional swallowing therapy if your child:

  • Has a tongue thrust swallow

  • Pushes the tongue forward during swallowing or speech

  • Has difficulty with mature chewing or swallowing patterns

  • Experiences frequent drooling beyond expected age

  • Has speech sound errors linked to tongue placement

  • Is receiving or has been recommended for orthodontic care



    Early support can help establish healthier patterns before challenges become more complex.

How Does Myofunctional Therapy Help?

Myofunctional therapy helps children develop efficient, comfortable oral patterns through targeted, supportive intervention. In therapy, we:

  • Teach correct tongue resting posture

  • Retrain swallowing patterns in a gentle, structured way

  • Strengthen coordination of oral muscles

  • Support speech clarity and feeding efficiency

  • Collaborate with dental and medical professionals when appropriate

Our approach is child-friendly, encouraging, and paced appropriately to help skills carry over into everyday life — supporting long-term comfort and development.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  •  A tongue thrust swallow occurs when the tongue pushes forward against or between the teeth during swallowing instead of moving in a mature pattern. Over time, this can impact speech, feeding, and oral development.

  • Yes. Tongue placement and movement play a role in producing certain speech sounds. Addressing swallowing patterns can support clearer speech and improved articulation.

  • No. While orthodontic care may identify tongue thrust patterns, myofunctional therapy also supports speech, feeding, and functional oral movement — not just dental alignment.

  • Therapy includes gentle exercises, awareness-building, and guided practice to help children learn new oral patterns in a supportive and age-appropriate way.

  • The length of therapy depends on your child’s needs, consistency, and carryover. Your therapist will guide you through expectations and progress along the way.

  • Yes. Hershey Therapy Practice provides myofunctional swallowing therapy to families in Greenwich and lower Fairfield County, CT, as well as lower Westchester County, NY, with flexible therapy options tailored to each child.

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